These 7 Smartphone Giants Are Interested In Making EVs Too: Apple, Sony, Xiaomi And More

Most brands on this list are based in China and only a couple are expected to make their way to India

The business of EVs has been booming in the last few years as regulatory bodies around thr world push both buyers and manufacturers to switch from internal combustion engine (ICE) cars to those that run on electricity. Given that a dedicated EV is designed from scratch with very little technology being carried over from traditional ICE car manufacturing, and their user experience differentiation is based on the technology on offer, it is not surprising that even tech giants are looking to enter the business of electric cars.

Here’s a list of 7 giants from the tech and smartphone industry that have already committed to joining the EV space in the coming years:

Xiaomi

Let’s start with the brand most recently in the news for the leaked design of what appears to be its first production-spec EV offering, the Xiaomi SU7. The Chinese smartphone giant had announced its plans to enter the electric automotive landscape in early 2021 with investment of USD 10 billion over 10 years.

Apple

One of the biggest smartphone brands in the world, Apple has been working on an EV for years with the earliest rumours dating back to 2015. However, this is expected to be more of a shared mobility solution rather than a conventional car to rival the likes of Tesla in the USA. As per the recent report, the Apple EV could make its first public appearance in 2024.

Foxconn

Moving on to the company that actually manufactures the iPhones, Foxconn has also been working on making its own EVs. The cars are to be sold under a new brand called Foxtron and will be manufactured in partnership with a Taiwan-based automaker, and could form associations with other carmakers in other countries. It has already revealed its first prototype concepts in 2021 and the Taiwanese corporation has plans to set up EV manufacturing in India as well.

Huawei

Unlike the previous entrants on this list, Huawei is ahead of them all as it already has EVs on sale since 2021. The Chinese technological giant is developing its EVs in cooperation with a native automaker AITO for the manufacturing aspect. Due to the data-security concerns for the parent company Huawei, even its globally-oriented EVs are facing hurdles to enter Western markets.

Oppo

Another China-based tech giant on this list is Oppo which first announced its plans to enter the EV space back in 2021. However, unlike Huawei, reports suggest Oppo intends to bring its EV to India. Originally stated to arrive by early 2024, there has not been much word about the progress of the Oppo EV.

Sony

The Japanese tech-giant Sony revealed its EV goals in 2020 with the Vision S concept at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), a tech expo held in the USA. At the 2023 CES, Sony announced it has partnered with Honda for building EVs for its new brand called Afeela. The first production-spec Sony EV is expected to hit the roads in 2026.

Google

The oldest automotive project on this list is the work of almighty Google itself - a driverless EV as a mobility solution. Officially known under the name of Waymo, Google is already running prototype autonomous robotaxi services in select cities of the USA. Presently, the Waymo service uses existing EVs like the Jaguar I-Pace which get modified with their autonomous driving tech.

For most brands listed above, we expect them to partner with existing automakers to do the actual manufacturing of the EVs or even outsourcing that work to contractors. As specialists in technology and design, they can simply work on developing the product instead of getting into the complications of giving it a physical form as well. Which smartphone brand of EV are you most excited for? Let us know in the comments below.