The company that makes your iPhone is now set to deliver an electric car.

AN electric vehicle developed in partnership with a Taiwanese electronics giant will be sold by Mitsubishi here next year.

The deal is with Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer, which counts major technology companies such as Apple, for which it makes the iPhone, among customers.

Talk is that the vehicle will be a medium sports utility - such as vehicle was hinted in an image here of darkened future vehicles it released recently - but that has yet to be confirmed.

It is unlikely to be related to another Mitsubishi electric coming to the boil, this being a version of the next Nissan Leaf, also coming in SUV. The Mitsubishi edition is purely for North America.

Reece Congdon, head of marketing and corporate affairs for Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand, said the model will be in tune with Kiwi expectations.

“New Zealand is one of the primary markets for the vehicle under development and we look forward to a full EV vehicle rejoining our range in 2026.

“This is what Kiwis have been asking of us and we intend to deliver for them.”

MMNZ’s previous electric car foray here was with an in-house effort, the teensy i-MiEV, an electric version of the city commuter kei class i-Car, sold in the 2010s, a time when electric was barely a thing for consumers. It trialled another kei car, the Japan domestic market eK EV, a rebadged Nissan Sakura, last year.

This deal is Foxconn’s first first major contract in the booming and highly competitive EV industry, but has previously created concept cars and expressed ambition to become a automotive involver.

It recently said it would consider buying a stake in Japan's Nissan. Mitsubishi is a junior partner in an alliance between Nissan and French car maker Renault.

Foxconn also involved in a pitch to build the Pear car (below) for American brand Lucid, but that came to nothing.

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in Japan has so far signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Foxconn Vehicle Technologies.

A MOU is a non-binding deal; the companies have said they "will proceed with discussions towards a definitive agreement."

The specific arrangement is for the vehicle to be built by Foxtron - Foxconn's EV joint venture with Taiwanese car maker, Yulon Motor - but introduced under the Mitsubishi badge.

In addition to coming here, it will be sold in Australia, with entry in the second half of 2026 planned.

MMC Japan has said the vehicle and will form part of Mitsubishi’s long-term product plan for the region through to 2030.

A news report said the new model is expected to offer strong EV performance and advanced infotainment features, with Mitsubishi targeting the platform specifically for local driving preferences in the region.

“Partnerships like the one signed today between MMC and Foxtron are becoming common place within the industry and provide exciting opportunities to bring new vehicles to market,” Congdon said.

“Mitsubishi Motors and Foxtron will proceed with discussions towards a definitive agreement,” MMC said in a statement.

Mitsubishi is also rolling out hybrid and plug-in hybrid models across multiple regions, including hybrid versions of its Xpander and Xforce SUVs. An updated Outlander is also now rolling out, most recently in Australia.

The company says its approach to electrification includes leveraging its alliance with Renault and Nissan. Mitsubishi is already sourcing OEM electric models from Renault in Europe and Nissan in North America and is considering similar arrangements with alliance partners in other regions, including Australia and NZ.

Mitsubishi Motors, headquartered in Tokyo, employs about 28,000 people globally and maintains production facilities across Japan and Southeast Asia. The company was an early mover in the EV space, having launched the world’s first mass-produced electric vehicle, the i-MiEV, in 2009, followed by the Outlander PHEV in 2013 — the world’s first plug-in hybrid SUV.