According to a fresh new report from Korean news outlet Hankyung, Hyundai Motors has confirmed to CNBC to be in early discussions with Apple to produce an Apple-branded electric vehicle later this decade.
A Hyundai Motors spokesperson confirmed this rumor to CNBC with this statement: “We understand that Apple is in discussion with a variety of global automakers, including Hyundai Motor. As the discussion is at its early stage, nothing has been decided.”
In a statement just obtained by @CNBC's @cherykang, the auto giant Hyundai says:
“We understand that Apple is in discussion with a variety of global automakers, including Hyundai Motor.
As the discussion is at its early stage, nothing has been decided.”— Steve Kopack (@SteveKopack) January 8, 2021
In the last few years, Apple has doubled-down on its in-house EV development, even poaching Tesla engineers for its “Project Titan” program.
Apple’s “Project Titan” has shifted focus numerous times over its history. At one point, Apple considered switching over to developing autonomous vehicle software that can be licensed to manufacturers but has since switched back to EV development. Some early reports even cited plans to scrap the project entirely.
Reuters reported last year that a person familiar with Apple Car development said that the vehicle is to feature “a radical new battery technology” making it cheaper and more efficient than current EV batteries.
Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman has reported Apple Car production is still a half-decade away, citing people with knowledge of the efforts. “Apple has a small team of hardware engineers developing drive systems, vehicle interior and external car body designs with the goal of eventually shipping a vehicle,” said Gurman.
We cannot wait to see what the Apple Car will look like, but most importantly, who will help produce the car. Thoughts on Apple Car? Let us know below.
