Taiwan-built EV for NZ

Mitsubishi Motors has signed a memorandum of understanding for Taiwanese company Foxtron Vehicle Technologies to supply it with an electric vehicle.

The Japanese company will now have further talks with Foxtron, which is a subsidiary of Hon Hai Precision Industry, about it taking on the car’s development.

The EV will made in Taiwan. It will be launched in New Zealand and Australia in the second half of 2026. 

The new model is part of a product plan announced last year for down under, which will extend through to 2030. It will feature “excellent driving performance as an EV and an advanced infotainment system, making it optimal for the Oceania region”. 

Mitsubishi says it is advancing its environmental initiatives through the electrification of new models. This includes upgrades to the Outlander PHEV and the addition of plug-in hybrid models to its Xpander and Xforce ranges, which are popular in the Asean region. 

In addition to its deal with Foxtron, Mitsubishi plans to enhance its electrified vehicle line-up by leveraging on its alliance with Nissan and Renault, such as receiving models from the latter in Europe and Nissan in North America. 

Mitsubishi is also considering expanding collaboration with its alliance partners globally, including in Oceania, to bolster its range of EVs and “accelerate efforts towards achieving carbon neutrality”.

Japanese partnerships

Hon Hai Precision Industry, which is known internationally as Foxconn, views Japan as a major opportunity for growing its EV business. 

It has sought to strike partnerships with companies there, said Jun Seki, the Taiwan contract manufacturer’s chief strategy officer for EVs, at a seminar in Tokyo in April. 

The Apple iPhone supplier’s interest in working with Japanese carmakers comes as they face growing competition from Chinese brands making inroads in markets such as Europe, Thailand and Brazil. At the seminar, Seki confirmed Foxconn was working with Mitsubishi but didn’t provide further details.

Mitsubishi is a junior partner in its long-standing alliance with Nissan and Renault. Foxconn has previously said it would consider taking a stake in Nissan for co-operation because of its ambitions to diversify into EVs.

Foxtron, the company’s EV joint venture with Yulon, counts Yulon-owned carmaker Luxgen as its main client in Taiwan.

The way forward

In February, Nissan and Honda broke off merger talks to forge a US$60 billion automotive company. The deal fell apart because of Honda’s proposal to make Nissan a subsidiary.

It’s unclear at this stage which Foxtron model will be developed by Mitsubishi for New Zealand and Australia. The most likely candidate is the Pininfarina-designed Foxtron Model B, pictured above. 

This ASX-sized SUV, which made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in 2024, is a prospective competitor to the likes of Kia’s Niro.

Foxconn has previously said it aims to crowdsource its EVs to car brands rather than sell them directly. In addition to the Model B, its line-up includes a larger Tesla Model Y-sized SUV, a bus, sedan and van.

Despite being the first brand to offer a highway-capable mass-market EV for the global market – the iMiEV in 2009 – Mitsubishi doesn’t currently offer a fully electric model. More recently, it has focused on plug-in hybrid variants of the Outlander and Eclipse Cross. 

Mitsubishi turns new Leaf

In addition to these developments, Mitsubishi says it will launch an all-new battery electric vehicle based on the next-generation Leaf as an OEM model from Nissan. It will be introduced to the North American market in the second half of 2026.

The company is “also exploring further collaboration opportunities, including potential expansion into Australia and other markets”.

Mitsubishi will also leverage its expertise in PHEV technology to supply an OEM model to Nissan for the North American market next year. It will continue to “explore ways to strengthen its partnership with Nissan”.