We’ve already heard rumors that Kia will be the company to develop the long-awaited Apple Car, and now that partnership is looking even more likely.
According to Korean site DongA Ilbo, Apple has just invested $3.6 billion in Kia as part of a planned manufacturing partnership. Apple Cars would be built at Kia’s manufacturing plant in Georgia, USA.
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Apple Car release date
The report claims that the deal could be signed as soon as February 17, with the goal of having the first Apple Cars ready by the year 2024. Both Apple and Kia will reportedly aim to build 100,000 cars a year once manufacturing starts.
We’ve been hearing a lot more about the Apple Car in recent weeks, with several rumors and reports claiming Apple has been aiming for a 2024 release date for some time. Though that didn’t stop one report claiming the car would arrive by the end of this year, which is incredibly unlikely.
Apple Car: What about Hyundai?
It was also reported that Hyundai was in the running to develop the car for Apple, only for it to quickly change to Hyundai’s subsidiary Kia. Apparently, Hyundai has grander plans to grow its own brand and didn’t want to invest resources into helping another rival. There was also some concern that Apple may get too involved in the development process, which would leave Hyundai as little more than a manufacturer for someone else's car.
Despite this, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that Apple will still be collaborating with Hyundai proper, and will utilize the company's E-GMP battery electric vehicle platform for the first Apple Car chassis. So while Hyundai may want to keep Apple Car production at arm’s length, it has no qualms about licensing out its technology.
Kuo also noted that General Motors and European manufacturer PSA could also get involved at this level in order to significantly shorten development time and help bring the Apple Car to international markets. However, Kuo predicted that the car won’t be arriving until 2025 at the earliest.
Apple's Tesla rival
There’s a lot we still don’t know about the Apple Car, but reports have indicated it will be an autonomous self-driving car that will utilize some sort of “monocell” battery pack. Not only will that offer better range, it’s also supposed to be safer than traditional electric car batteries.
Rumors claim that the Apple Car will be available as a privately-owned vehicle. too, rather than as a fleet of ride-sharing cars you have to summon whenever you need to make a trip.
Would you buy an Apple Car yourself? Let us know in the comments. .
