Photographer: Brent Lewin / Bloomberg
Photographer: Brent Lewin / Bloomberg
Apple Inc. has had conversations with Hyundai Motor Co. i Kia Motors Corp. on the construction of an electric vehicle, although discussions stopped recently, according to people familiar with the situation.
Apple has also been discussing similar plans with other carmakers, according to people. They asked not to be identified in private matters.
The secret project has it in recent months. It has the potential to turn the auto industry and its supply chain upside down in a manner similar to Apple’s reinvention of the consumer device market.
Apple declined to comment. In January, Hyundai, which owns a controlling stake in Kia, he turned away from a statement saying he was in talks with Apple.
This announcement, and other conversation reports have bothered Apple, which keeps development projects secret for years and monitors supplier relationships with relentless efficiency.
It is unclear whether or when discussions between Apple and Hyundai can resume. There are only a handful of global automakers with the capacity and capacity to mass-produce vehicles, and it’s unclear how many of them would be interested in collaborating with Apple.
There are other problems as well. One is a dispute within the Hyundai group over which of its two brands, Hyundai or Kia, could end up making a car for Apple, said one of the people familiar with the situation. If talks end up resuming, Kia is considered more likely and looking to build an Apple car at its Georgia plant, the person said.
A key issue for the industry is how serious Apple is about taking on Tesla Inc., General Motors Co. and other electric vehicle manufacturers, and if you need an established manufacturer to be able to deploy your own product.
The Cupertino, California-based company has a small team of engineers who develop transmission systems as well as designers, but with development work in an early stage, no release will likely occur for another five years. . This suggests that Apple has more time to decide potential partners in the auto industry.
Read more: Apple’s autonomous electric car is at least half a decade old
– With the assistance of Chester Dawson and Gabrielle Coppola