Foxtron Model D is a 410-mile Mercedes rival from Chinese giant Foxconn
Foxconn is more regularly known for manufacturing Apple iPhones, but its automotive division has now revealed a radical electric MPV called the Foxtron Model D.
Designed by Italian sketch house Pininfarina, the Model D is said to be one of the longest-range electric MPVs on the market and promises to be the best in its class for both technology and design.
It is powered by a 100-120kWh lithium-ion battery which gives it an electric range of "more than" 410 miles according to the WLTP test. This means that it technically beats the Peugeot E-5008, the current longest-range MPV.
Key to this electric range is its rather featureless but clean-sheet bodywork. There are a number of hidden ducts and holes to smooth the flow of air through and around the car, and a gap in the front grille channels air to the foot of the windscreen. This is designed to reduce the car's frontal area and make it more aerodynamic.
What's more, there is a large triangular crease at the front which is designed to direct air onto the brakes for cooling purposes, and there are hard, bluff edges at the rear to further smooth airflow.
Measuring 5133mm in length, 1999mm in width and 1785mm in height, the Model D is wider and taller than a Range Rover, but almost matches it for length. It is also the only electric MPV with an 800V charging architecture, which means it should be much faster charging than all of its alternatives.
It also has a 3200mm wheelbase, which is longer than a Cadillac Escalade and just 100mm short of a Hummer EV. This means that it should have a lot of room for each of its six occupants.
Inside, it has been designed to work with most of the other products manufactured by Foxconn. For example, each of the six seats have charging pads to fit an iPhone and each front seatback has a slot for an iPad.
You also get "zero-gravity" seating, which means the chairs can recline at up to 90deg and essentially turn into a bed. Foxconn says the car's interior has 3km of wiring to support its technology.
Production of the Model D is set to begin in two years' time, but Foxconn is looking to licence cars to other organisations (an offer that has so far taken up by Taiwan’s Luxgen and Saudi Arabia’s Ceer). These firms will then redesign the car to suit their use cases.
