Foxtron of Foxconn announced recently that it has signed a MOU with San-Ti Group’s North-Star International Company and Kaohsiung Bus to develop their very first electric bus, “E BUS.” The electric bus, which is expected to be based on the MIH commercial vehicle platform developed by Foxtron, will utilize the passenger transport systems and charging facilities of the San-Ti Group. The partnership between these parties will help promote localized electric buses and charging facilities, as well as create a new era of green transportation.
Young Liu, the Chairman of Foxtron, commented that the design of their electric bus will be constantly improved and optimized to correspond with the future demand of the EV market. The partnership with San-Ti Group this time proves that the MIH EV ecosystem of the company is gradually solidifying. By incorporating the EV charging facilities and bus operation of the San-Ti Group, the two parties will progressively establish a more comprehensive and robust EV industry for Taiwan. At the same time, they will also be helping the government to promote the designing and manufacturing capabilities of Taiwanese companies.
Liu emphasizes that Foxtron will be dedicated to exploring the infinite possibilities of the EV market. The company had set its foot in the EV field last year through a partnership with Yulon that was designed to facilitate the production of electric vehicles. In their effort to develop their EV business, Yulon had agreed that it would share its independent R&D platforms and engineering resources, while Foxconn would provide access to its global supply chain system, its expertise in the manufacturing of critical components and parts, and its resources for mechanical engineering and system integration. Adhering to a new operation model that sits on an open platform and the idea of sharing, Foxtron is able to provide overall solutions for its Taiwanese and global clients.
As stated in the MOU, the two parties will be incorporating electric buses by adopting a phased cooperation plan based on the existing bus system of San-Ti Group, and implementing a test run during the preliminary stage to better satisfy the needs of the passengers and bus operators, as well as improve the quality of the bus arrays. Electric buses are expected to be added to Kaohsiung Bus next year. In addition, the vehicle design capability of Foxtron can also be extended to small and medium-sized electric buses; this could forge additional cooperation opportunities for the two companies as they march towards other auto demand markets in the future.
In order to realize the target of comprehensive electrification for buses by 2030, and in the spirit of helping the government to promote the design and manufacturing prowess of Taiwan, Foxtron and the San-Ti Group will try to expand their EV business to the overseas markets; they will also continue to find ways to upgrade their E BUS with smart management and AI learning systems in order to elevate the quality of public transportation in Taiwan on a continual basis.
(Cover photo source: Foxconn)