11:03 am, January 8, 2021
Hyundai has said it is in talks with tech giant Apple as the pair look to partner up on the development of future electric cars and batteries.
The South Korean firm said that ‘Apple and Hyundai are in discussions, but they are at an early stage and nothing has been decided’ in a statement issued to Reuters.
While the Korean Economic Daily also reported that the pair were in talks about sharing skills in the creation of next-generation electric cars and batteries.
Apple has been rumoured to have been working on its own electric car – under the codename ‘Project Titan’ – since 2014.
However, the project has had a bumpy start with numerous setbacks and, as yet, no firm confirmation that a vehicle is close to being released.
Following its initial statement, Hyundai reconfirmed its comments, telling the BBC that the firm is now talking to a ‘number of companies’ – leaving Apple out of its announcement.
Hyundai is pushing hard for the development of new technologies, with Group chairman Euisun Chung recently saying: ‘We will realise the safest and most innovative mobility technology in the world by strengthening our autonomous driving, connectivity and software capabilities.
‘We will continue to invest in new growth fields such as urban air mobility (UAM) and robotics to expand the realm of new mobility in the near future.’
Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently revealed he once contacted Apple boss Tim Cook as he was considering selling Tesla to Apple – but the Apple CEO refused the meeting.
Musk said he contacted Cook ‘to discuss the possibility of Apple acquiring Tesla for one-tenth of our current value – he refused to take the meeting’.
The revelation came as news emerged that Apple’s highly secretive self-driving car project could launch in 2024.
The iPhone maker was believed to have canned its ‘Project Titan’ car project, but Reuters reported that Apple had still been working on it.
Reports suggested the technology has made enough progress that Apple believes it could aim to build a car for consumers. The latest Hyundai announcement only serves to confirm that.
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