Monday, August 30, 2010

Freescale Links With Chinese Firm On Automotive Lab

Austin-based Freescale Semiconductor said over the weekend that it has linked up with Chinese firm Foton Motor, to create an Automotive Joint Lab, focused on automotive electronics. According to Freescale, the join lab will co-develop silicon, software, and systems for use in next generation Foton vehicles. Freescale said the lab's effort will include developments in electric vehicle/hybrid electric vehicle (EV/HEV) technology and relevant electronic control technology. Financial details of the joint venture were not disclosed, however, Freescale said it will provide silicon products, development tools, reference platforms and dedicated support resources to support the effort. Foton Motor (Beiqi Foton Motor Co., Ltd.) is state owned by the Chinese government, and has over 30,000 employees. The firms said that Foton is the third largest manufacturer of automobiles in China.