Rumored Apple Car maker Foxconn reveals US-bound Model C to take on the Tesla Model Y Juniper

Apple's iPhone assembler Foxconn may have been late to the electric vehicle party, but intends to catch up quickly with the demands of the hottest new industry. It was one of the candidates to build the now-defunct Apple Car, and the preparations around the iced project included partnering to develop its own EV architecture platform called MIH (Mobile in Harmony).

Foxconn revealed several electric vehicle concepts to be built on the modular MIH platform, such as the Model C SUV and the Model B crossover built on its base, as well as a Model V pickup truck. Some of those concepts have already been launched under the Luxgen badge, as Foxconn wants to stay an EV assembler, as it does with Apple's iPhones, rather than deal with branding, marketing, or distribution.

At its annual Tech Day bash, Foxconn has now announced more EV models, including a US-bound Model C electric SUV that will seemingly be a direct competitor to the Tesla Model Y Juniper that is coming next quarter.

The achievements of the Model C are a testament to Foxconn’s Contract Design and Manufacturing Service (CDMS) business model that invites automotive OEM customers to choose their favorite reference designs to customize their cars. Under the modular platform, hardware modules are flexibly combined and the software-defined EE architecture is continuously updated to improve the user experience through software updates.

The SUV is designed by renowned studio Pininfarina, and Foxconn said that this is the "North American variant of the Model C, created in cooperation with American partners." Mum's the word on which US-based automaker has partnered with Foxconn to build an electric SUV on its Model C platform. Foxconn has worked with Lucid before, and the EV will be entering mass production in 2025.

Coincidentally, that is when Tesla will bring its Model Y Juniper refresh to market, too, so the mysterious Model C developer may have timed a direct competitor. Foxconn is also showcasing its Model B crossover prototype at its annual Tech Day event, as well as revealing a new mid-size Model U electric bus, and a Model D family vehicle hybrid.

Foxconn tips that the North American version "maintains a simple and fashionable new-generation family style, expanding the S-duct design," but also that it will offer "new styling and steering wheel, and launch a new UI design."

As for the Model C's specs, Foxconn pegs 435 miles of range on a charge, a 0-60 mph acceleration of 3.8 seconds, and a 0.28 coefficient of drag. That impressive range is most likely on the Chinese CLTC cycle, though, which is the most generous among major EV range standards. In the US, the Model C will most likely be rated for about 300 miles on a charge by the EPA, regardless of the branding that it appears under stateside.

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