Skip to main content

Apple in talks with Hyundai over possible car, automaker confirms

Hyundai has confirmed it’s in talks with Apple about the possibility of working together to build an electric car.

“Apple and Hyundai are in discussions but they are at an early stage and nothing has been decided,” the Korean automaker said in a statement seen by Reuters.

Hyundai revealed the news on Friday local time shortly after Korea Economic Daily TV reported that the two companies were discussing a possible partnership to build electric cars and batteries.

The revelation comes just weeks after the so-called “Apple Car” hit the headlines again following a period of quiet, with a number of insiders claiming the vehicle, which could include autonomous capabilities, may appear as early as 2024.

But another story, published earlier today by Bloomberg, said it could be up to seven years before the tech giant has anything to show off, according to sources claiming to have knowledge of the matter. The report also said that the car is “nowhere near production stage,” and currently has only a small team of Apple engineers working on “drive systems, vehicle interior, and external car body designs.”

Apple’s electric-vehicle initiative, known as Project Titan, has been in and out of the news since 2014. True to form, the company has remained tight-lipped on the subject, though it has previously acknowledged that it’s researching autonomous systems. Its reported work on an autonomous van, and the filing of a self-driving car patent that could turn Siri into a personal chauffeur, also confirms Apple’s interest in the technology.

The company more famous for phones and watches than four-wheel vehicles could end up providing its under-development autonomous technology to an established automaker — such as Hyundai — rather than designing its own vehicle, though it seems anything is still possible.

Digital Trends has reached out to both companies for comment and we will update this article with any response.

Editors' Recommendations

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Cruise autonomous vehicle drives over woman just after she was hit by another car
A Cruise autonomous car.

An autonomous vehicle (AV) operated by Cruise ran over a pedestrian in San Francisco on Monday night just after she’d been hit by another car, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

According to witnesses, the force of the initial impact knocked the woman into the path of the Cruise robotaxi, leaving her pinned under one of its wheels. The driver in the other car reportedly fled the scene.

Read more
The fastest electric cars, ranked by 0-60 mph acceleration
porsche taycan electric car acceleration test on aircraft carrier deck prototype

Electric vehicles benefit from instant torque, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're quick.

The more affordable electric cars, like the Chevrolet Bolt EV and Hyundai Kona Electric, are zippy around town, but nothing to brag about on a drag strip. However, higher-end models like the ones we're looking at here can keep up with some of the most powerful gasoline-burning sports cars in the world -- and in many cases beat them.

Read more
Apple wants to supercharge CarPlay, but here’s why carmakers won’t bite
Apple CarPlay interface

Apple is ready to take CarPlay to the next level. At last year's Wordwide Developers Conference, the company announced an all-new version of CarPlay that would not only serve as your car's infotainment system, but also take over the rest of the screens in the car, showing information about your speed and the car itself, alongside information pulled from your phone, like your calendar events and the weather.

When it was first announced, this new version of CarPlay was supposed to launch by the end of 2023. That means that if the new CarPlay launches on time, it should be right around the corner.

Read more