Foxconn to start building all-electric Monarch MK-V tractors in Ohio from Q1 2023

Taiwanese electronics contract manufacturer Foxconn has confirmed that it will build all-electric Monarch MK-V electric tractors in Ohio, with production scheduled to start in early 2023. The electronics major headquartered in the Tucheng area of New Taipei City, has managed to acquire a manufacturing unit in Ohio.

The contract manufacturer has signed an agreement with Zimeno Inc. DBA Monarch Tractor to build next-generation agricultural equipment, including the aforementioned battery-powered tractor, at its Lordstown, Ohio-based plant.

The announcement surfaced as Foxconn finalized the acquisition of the Loedstown factory from EV startup Lordstown Motors earlier this year. Lordstown Motors had acquired the manufacturing plant from General Motors in late 2019. The facility in question has approximately 6.2 million square feet (roughly 576,000 square meters) of scalable production space.

The full-rate production of Monarch Tractor’s all-electric, self-driving MK-V Series tractor is expected to start in the first quarter of next year. The production of the new all-electric commercial vehicle will follow production of Monarch’s Founder Series in the final quarter of this year at Monarch Tractor’s Livermore, California-based manufacturing plant.

The partnership with Monarch Tractor reflects the Taiwanese contract manufacturer’s first contract agreement by Foxconn since the closing of the Asset Purchase Agreement with Lordstown Motors in May this year.

Praveen Penmetsa, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Monarch Tractor, described Foxconn as an EMS leader providing world-renowned manufacturing solutions to transform the future of farming. He also stressed on the need to produce sustainable commercial EVs for the transformation of farming.

Announcing the partnership, Penmetsa said, “Creating the industry’s most advanced tractor demands a manufacturing partner with the experience to quickly scale and execute with precision. Foxconn is an EMS leader whose manufacturing and solutions are world-renowned. We are proud to partner with Foxconn and work together to transform the future of farming.”

For his part, Foxconn Chairman Young Liu added that the new contract for producing the all-electric tractor in Ohio reflects the company’s growing center of gravity for zero-emissions, autonomous commercial vehicle production. He also pointed to the great potential that can emerge from such forward-thinking partnerships.

The all-electric Monarch MK-V tractor can be driven by a human operator as well as autonomously. Its robust electric powertrain offers 40 hp of continuous power or 70 hp of peak power. On a full charge, it can run for more than 10 hours. The battery pack takes 4-5 hours to get fully replenished with an 80A charger.