Just when you thought you sorted out all of the potential players in the EV segment, a new one crops up, in this case, Luxgen Motors.
A subsidiary of behemoth Yulon Motors, Luxgen unveiled the n7 electric CUV it says will go on sale in Taiwan this fall and is being made ready for export to other markets. Not only that, it’s working with Taiwanese manufacturing giant Foxconn, to build the new crossover for the Asian market, but it could expand in the future.
The n7 is the first production model to be designed and developed in partnership with Foxtron, the fledgling automotive division of Foxconn, which also builds the iPhone for Apple, according to WardsAuto.com.
Set for sale in October
The seven-seat n7 goes on sale in Taiwan next month. Exports of the new model are planned, according to Luxgen officials, though details of planned markets and possible delivery dates have not yet been made public, Wards reported.
The styling of the new Luxgen model was clearly influenced by the Model C, designed in partnership with Italian design house Pininfarina, which Foxtron originally unveiled last November.
Wards also noted the production version of the n7 model unveiled in Taiwan at the beginning of September retains the basic silhouette of the earlier concept displayed by Foxtron but receives new detailing, including restyled front and rear ends.
Luxgen part of Foxconn automotive flirtation
Like Apple, Foxconn has shown an interest in the automotive sector, but has yet to outline a broad strategy for its future.
The basis for the Luxgen/Foxtron CUV is described by Foxtron’s as its open-source MIH electric-car platform. It offers different driveline layouts, including single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor all-wheel drive, according to Yulon Motors, the Taiwanese automaker, Luxgen’s corporate parent.
Pictures released by Yulon have shown the Luxgen n7 uses the same body as the Model C. Only plastic parts are different because they are cheaper to change.
Luxgen was founded in 2009, and the company’s motto is “Think Ahead.” From 2010 to 2020, Luxgen vehicles were manufactured and marketed in China by its Chinese partner Dongfeng, one of China’s largest automakers..
Currently its products are primarily manufactured and marketed in Taiwan, where its parent Yulon has built Nissan products for several years, according to the company.
Meanwhile, Foxconn has discussed opening its own automotive operations in the U.S., notably at a highly touted site in Wisconsin where then-President Donald Trump showed up for the groundbreaking.
The Wisconsin project has stalled
Foxconn also signed an agreement to design high-tech instrument panels for Stellantis. It also has a separate agreement to build the Fisker Pear — the brand’s second vehicle — at a factory Foxconn now owns in Ohio.
Foxconn’s plans with Fisker call for the venture in Ohio to produce the Pear, which Henrik Fisker describes as revolutionary, starting in 2024, and production could reach 250,000 units annually.
“Our engineering group is working on new features and high-tech solutions for the Pear that will change how we use and enjoy a vehicle in the city,” Fisker said.
The Fisker Pear follows the company’s first vehicle, the Fisker Ocean, which starts production in Austria on Nov. 17, according to Fisker officials. The Fisker Pear will have an expected base price below $29,900 before incentives available to manufacturer building EVs in the U.S.
Fisker has designed and engineered the vehicle to reduce parts for rapid, simplified manufacturing, and it will be built on a new proprietary architecture.
Luxgen come to the North American market. There is a strong demand for a Taiwanese automaker.