Rumors that Apple car, Hyundai’s Kia Motors will be manufactured at the US factory again –GLM

The other day, it was reported that Apple would conclude a production contract for self-driving EV (commonly known as Apple car) with Hyundai Motor Co., Ltd. by March, but it is rumored that the project will be entrusted to Kia Motors under Hyundai Motors. Has been reported.

It all started earlier this month when it was reported that Hyundai was in talks with Apple on the development of self-driving cars. But a few hours later, the company released a statement that cut down on Apple and toned down “I’m being contacted by a potential partner to develop an autonomous EV.”

However, after that, Reuters reported the outlook that “Apple and Hyundai will conclude a production contract by March” as the content reported by Korean IT News (however, the article could not be confirmed in Korean IT News). It is a flow that the sex has increased.

This rumor is also reported by Korean media eDaily. “It turns out that the Hyundai Motors Group, which received a proposal for EV-related cooperation from Apple, has arranged in-house for Kia Motors to take charge of this project,” and if Kia decides to undertake it, ” The production base for Apple cars will be Kia’s Georgia plant in the United States. ” Mostly in line with Reuters coverage.

The reason why Hyundai itself is not in charge is that it was judged to be “not suitable” for the Apple car business because it has a “strong will” to continue the Hyundai brand. There are also concerns that Hyundai may become Apple’s OEM factory if Apple takes the initiative in self-driving EVs.

Hyundai has been focusing on the commercialization of self-driving cars for a long time, and in 2019 it will be with Aptiv, a major US auto parts company, and self-driving level 4 (all automatic operation in a specific place) and level 5 (automatic in any place) We have established a joint venture, Motional, with the aim of (operation). And at the end of 2020, Motional announced that it had obtained a test permit for self-driving vehicles in Nevada, USA.

There are various theories about Apple cars from the start of production in 2024 to the release in 2026 at the earliest, but there was also an analyst’s prediction that it would be possible to produce in 2024 if a license was obtained from another company and “reinventing the wheel” was avoided. If we partner with Hyundai, which already has accumulated know-how on autonomous driving, it may not be far away.