Karma Automotive, a Chinese-owned electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer based in the US, has joined the MIH (Mobility in Harmony) consortium – an open electric vehicle development partnership run by Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry Company.
Hon Hai, aka Apple’s leading contract manufacturer Foxconn, wants to become a significant player in the global electric vehicle (EV) industry and related supply chain through its newly established Foxtron Vehicle Technologies.
It has positioned itself as a global EV contract manufacturer, having developed a dedicated EV underpinning, the MIH Open Platform, which it offers to customers.
The MIH Consortium brings together key players such as OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers and electronic service providers (ESPs) with the aim of building and standardising EV technology including autonomous driving and mobility services.
A Karma spokesman said: “Our presence in the consortium and our associated with the MIH Open Platform is expected to help improve user experiences, reduce costs and expedite development cycles.”
Consortium CEO Jack Cheng said: “Karma’s dedication, experience and capabilities in manufacturing and engineering were in line with the consortium’s goal of recruiting strategic partners to develop the next generation of electric vehicles.”
Hon Hai said the MIH Consortium had signed up 14 new members so far in July, bringing the total to 2,407 in 65 countries and regions worldwide. Last month India’s Tata Group joined the MIH Consortium through its Tata Technologies subsidiary which provides automotive engineering services to Tata Motors and other OEMs.