TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Mitsubishi Motors ( MMTOF ), a junior partner of Nissan Motor ( NSANF ), is planning to outsource the production of electric vehicles to Taiwanese electronics contract manufacturer Foxconn, Kyodo News reported on Thursday.

Through the collaboration, Mitsubishi Motors ( MMTOF ) is aiming to lower production costs and shorten the development period for its product lineup, while Foxconn, officially known as Hon Hai Precision Industry ( HNHPF ), is hoping to use it as a foothold to collaborate on EVs with Nissan ( NSANF ) and Honda ( HMC ), Kyodo said.

A proposed merger between Nissan ( NSANF ), Mitsubishi Motors' ( MMTOF ) largest shareholder, and Honda ( HMC ) fell through last month and sources have told Reuters that Nissan ( NSANF ) is open to working with new partners, including Foxconn.

Mitsubishi Motors ( MMTOF ) is discussing developing software for EVs with Honda ( HMC ) and Nissan ( NSANF ), Kyodo said.

The tie-up will be announced before the end of March, Kyodo said.

Mitsubishi Motors ( MMTOF ) was not immediately available for comment.

(Reporting by Anton Bridge; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)