Foxconn has added the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to its growing list of partners in the automotive world.
Having partnered with Taiwan’s biggest carmaker to create the Foxtron brand, and having confirmed it’ll build cars for Fisker, the company best-known for making iPhones has paired up with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) to develop and build electric cars for the Middle East.
The new Ceer brand will become the first to produce electric vehicles in Saudi Arabia, and plans to build sedans and SUVs for the Middle East and North Africa. The first vehicles are “scheduled to be available” in 2025.
The image that accompanied Ceer’s launch
The company will licence some components from BMW, and is promising to lead in “the areas of infotainment, connectivity and autonomous driving technologies”.
Foxconn will provide the electrical architecture for the cars, suggesting the MiH platform will likely form at least part of the brand’s plans.
“Saudi Arabia is not just building a new automotive brand, we are igniting a new industry and an ecosystem that attracts international and local investments,” HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in a statement.
Foxconn MiH platform
The Crown Prince says the EV manufacturing push will create “job opportunities for local talent, enables the private sector, and contributes to increasing Saudi Arabia’s GDP over the next decade, as part of PIF’s strategy to drive the economic growth in line with Vision 2030”.
What the cars that’ll come from Ceer will look like is unclear, but Foxconn has offered some details about its MiH platform.
The architecture can have a wheelbase between 2750mm and 3100mm, and supports a variety of track and ride heights, making it suitable for sedans, hatches, crossovers, and people movers. Already it’s shown off a city hatch and a dual-cab ute on the platform for the Foxtron brand.
MiH platform
Battery packs with 93kWh, 100kWh and 116kWh can be installed. Based on the teaser video, the platform also supports a full suite of active driver assists.
A variety of electric motors can be employed at both ends, with the initial offering consisting of 95kW, 150kW and 200kW front motors, and 150kW, 200kW, 240kW and 340kW units for the rear axle.
Likening the Tesla range to the “iPhone of EV”, Foxtron wants its EV platform to be the open-source “Android of EV”.
MORE: Foxtron reveals EV ute and SUVs, sets lofty sales target
