Foxconn, the Taiwan-based electronics producer renowned as the largest manufacturer of iPhones, has announced it will soon reveal its second Japanese automotive partner. This news comes from the company’s chairman, Young Liu, as reported by Reuters.
Earlier in May 2025, Foxconn signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Mitsubishi for the supply of an electric vehicle (EV) model.
The identity of Foxconn’s second Japanese automotive partner remains undisclosed. However, the company had previously expressed interest in acquiring a stake in Nissan, a proposal that was rejected as Nissan was engaged in merger talks with Honda at the time, which subsequently fell through.
For context, Foxconn already has a presence in the automotive industry through its EV subsidiary, Foxtron which, intriguingly, was led by a former Nissan senior executive, Jun Seki.
According to Reuters, Japanese carmakers expressed interest to partner with Foxconn after growing competition from Chinese carmakers that are aggressively pushing into global markets such as Europe, Brazil, and Taiwan.
Aside from making strides in international markets, Chinese carmakers like Chery, BYD, and GWM are also making waves in the local Malaysian market, where in 2024, they actually ranked among the top 10 best-performing brands in the country.
We’ll have to wait for Foxconn to officially announce their second Japanese automotive partner. However, this situation clearly shows how dire the current automotive industry landscape is, with legacy brands now resorting to collaborating with electronics manufacturers in hope to gain an upper hand against the onslaught of Chinese carmakers.
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