Apple Pauses Discussions on Electric Vehicles with Hyundai and Kia as Per Reports
Excitement among Apple enthusiasts for the long-anticipated Apple car has seen ups and downs. The latest twist? Reports suggest Apple's discussions with Hyundai and Kia on an electric vehicle have hit a roadblock. Now, here's the scoop on what happened, as per recent rumors swirling around.
Insiders informed Bloomberg about the alleged pause in Apple's talks with the two Korean automakers. The sources wished to remain anonymous, but they clarified that Apple was also exploring opportunities with other automakers. It's unclear if and when Apple and Hyundai might resume negotiations. Keeping in line with protocol, Apple declined Bloomberg's request for comment. Gizmodo reached out to Apple, Kia, and Hyundai and is waiting for a response.
Rumors of Apple's interest in a self-driving electric vehicle, named Project Titan, have been a thing since 2014. However, whispers grew louder following some supposed dust-ups between Hyundai and Apple. Apparently, Hyundai's executives revealed the partnership plan to local media, which landed them in hot water. Apple and tight-lipped secret-keepers don't exactly go hand in hand. To make matters worse, Hyundai then backtracked, first stating that several global automakers were talking with Apple about collaboration and later distancing itself from Apple altogether.
So, what do we know about this potential collaboration? Some blurry details came to light. In January, Reuters, referring to Korea IT News' report, claimed that Hyundai and Apple had a agreement in the pipeline for the project by March. The idea was to produce 100,000 vehicles by around 2024, with manufacturing either taking place at a Kia Motors factory in Georgia or at a new US facility. If full capacity was reached, the plant would produce 400,000 cars annually. A prototype of the Apple car was reportedly set to launch next year, according to the report.
However, it seems the parties involved weren't happy with these details leaking out, as the main points vanished from the report, as noted by Reuters. It's uncertain how this pause in discussions might affect the proposed timelines.
What's more, our previous musings about Hyundai blabbing about the deal prematurely and possibly burning bridges with Apple appear to be on point. The latest developments suggest that either Apple is putting these talks on hold to scout for another partner or mulling over things. But, if Apple is indeed taking a break, our theory could be exactly why.
The tech industry is abuzz with rumors about Apple's potential collaboration with other automakers, following the reported pause in discussions with Kia and Hyundai. According to sources, Apple is exploring opportunities in the field of electric vehicle technology, showing its commitment to the future of transportation. Despite the roadblock in the talks with Kia and Hyundai, Apple's interest in the electric vehicle market, particularly with Project Titan, certainly remains a topic of interest in the tech world.
