After weeks of speculation, Hyundai and subsidiary Kia have again sought to downplay rumors and reporting that they are working with Apple on an autonomous electric car project. The companies say they are no longer in talks, according to Reuters and Bloomberg, though that doesn’t mean the discussions won’t reopen later.
Hyundai’s comments as reported by Bloomberg are essentially the same as what the company said last month in a statement that mentioned Apple before being confusingly walked back. The carmaker says it’s been discussing potential autonomous electric car projects with various partners but is yet to reach a decision. Bloomberg reported last week that the talks with Apple had “paused.”
Renowned Apple analyst Ming-chi Kuo believes that the company does indeed plan to use Hyundai’s E-GMP platform for its first electric vehicle and use Kia for US-based manufacturing, though even then he doesn’t expect the car to hit the market before 2025. Whatever the state of Apple and Hyundai’s negotiations, then, the project is unlikely to be unveiled any time soon.
