"compared with cell phones and smartwatches, cars are so complicated that you can't go to a supplier like Foxconn and say, build me a car." This is a joke that Elon Musk made fun of Foxconn in an interview with the German Business Daily.

Now, with the rapid change of the new energy industry, respectable companies don't seem to want to miss the event of building cars, and Musk's teasing has been done. In 2021, Hon Hai Group, the parent company of Foxconn, not only built the model and three electric cars named jokingly Model C, Model E and Model T electric bus, but also unveiled two new cars, SUV Model B and pickup truck electric car Model V, on October 18 this year. In addition, at the press conference, Hon Hai Group Chairman Liu Yangwei even shouted to Musk: "I hope I can help Tesla, Inc. build a car one day."

Then again, does Foxconn really want to get a piece of the new energy vehicle industry with such high-profile behavior?

This has to start with the Foxconn press conference. At the press conference, the parameters of electric vehicles displayed by Foxconn are quite different from the product launches of domestic new energy vehicle companies, or even very vague. For Model B cross-border SUVs, the emphasis is only on the Model C platform, with a range of 450KM, a 100km acceleration of 6.6s, and a wind resistance factor of 0.26. As for the Model V electric pickup, it only highlights the few parameters such as 3.8100km acceleration, 700KM range, 1 ton carrying capacity, 3 ton towing capacity and two-compartment five-seater. On the surface of battery and car systems that users are most concerned about, Foxconn's statement is also ambiguous.

From this, it can be seen that Foxconn is deliberately hiding model parameters and is not active in the marketing of its products. But the ambitious Foxconn's overall goal is to have about 5 per cent of the global electric car market by 2025. But at the press conference, Foxconn is not active in marketing. What is the reason?

Xiangzhuang plays with swords, intended for Pei Gong. Chairman Liu Yangwei said, "We used to build PC and mobile phones, but in the future we will build EV (electric cars) and stick to the original intention of CDMS, which will not change." The CDMS mentioned by Liu Yangwei, that is, Contract design and manufacturing service, refers to the commissioned design and manufacturing service. Obviously, Foxconn does not want to get rid of the title of "professional contract factory" after entering the auto industry in a high profile. In this regard, some industry insiders said that Foxconn released the new car just to prove that it has the ability to contract manufacturing, so as to get more orders from new power brands and traditional car companies.

Foxconn will not be the last company to squeeze into the charismatic car market. However, in the era of rapid development of automobile intelligence, if a contract factory does not have the core technology, it is impossible to escape the fate of being led by the nose by car companies. Foxconn's early investment has begun to bear fruit, and every step that follows will be a huge test for it. (produced by thinking Finance) ■