Hyundai and Kia Now Say They Aren't in Discussions to Develop Apple Car

Following weeks of rampant Apple Car rumors, Hyundai and its subsidiary Kia today said they are not (or at least no longer) in discussions with Apple to co-operate on development of a self-driving electric vehicle, according to Bloomberg.

Apple and Hyundai feature teal
Hyundai last month confirmed that Apple was in discussions with a variety of global automakers, including Hyundai. However, the automaker walked back the statement just hours later, and merely said that it had "received requests for potential cooperation from various companies regarding development of autonomous EVs."

Bloomberg on Friday reported that talks between Apple and Hyundai had "paused recently," adding that Hyundai's original statement and the subsequent reports "upset Apple," a company known for its culture of secrecy.

Last week, Korean newspaper Dong-A Ilbo reported that Apple was planning to invest the equivalent of $3.6 billion in Kia as part of a planned manufacturing partnership between the two companies that would have seen Kia build the Apple Car at its assembly plant in Georgia. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that the Apple Car would be based on Hyundai's E-GMP electric vehicle platform, which would have allowed for a range of over 300 miles, acceleration from 0-60 miles per hour in as little as 3.5 seconds, a top speed of 160 miles per hour, up to an 80% charge within 18 minutes, and more.

Nikkei Asia reported that Apple is in discussions with at least six Japanese automakers over potential supply and manufacturing partnerships, so it sounds like Apple is still in the early stage of negotiations with automakers around the world.

In any case, it's believed that the Apple Car is still years away from being released, with predictions ranging from 2024 all the way to 2028.

Tag: Hyundai

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...
apple intelligence black

Report: Apple's AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2026

Tuesday December 30, 2025 9:01 am PST by
Apple's restrained artificial intelligence strategy may pay off in 2026 amid the arrival of a revamped Siri and concerns around the AI market "bubble" bursting, The Information argues. The speculative report notes that Apple has taken a restrained approach with AI innovations compared with peers such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta, which are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in data...
apple fitness 2026 1

Apple Teases 'Something Big' Coming Soon to Apple Fitness+

Tuesday December 30, 2025 2:11 pm PST by
The Apple Fitness+ Instagram account today teased that the service has "big plans" for 2026. In a video, several Apple Fitness+ trainers are shown holding up newspapers with headlines related to Apple Fitness+. What's Apple Fitness+ Planning for the New Year? Something Big is Coming to Apple Fitness+ The Countdown Begins. Apple Fitness+ 2026 is Almost Here 2026 Plans Still Under ...
Mac Pro Feature Blue

What's Happening With the Mac Pro?

Wednesday December 31, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the Mac Pro. Bloomberg recently said that the Mac Pro is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
macbook air march 2020

Apple Says Final Intel MacBook Air and Apple Watch Series 5 Now 'Vintage'

Wednesday December 31, 2025 8:39 am PST by
Apple today added the final 13-inch MacBook Air powered by Intel processors, the Apple Watch Series 5, and additional products to its vintage products list. The iPhone 11 Pro was also added to the list after the iPhone 11 Pro Max was added back in September. The full list of products added to Apple's vintage and obsolete list today: MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2020) iPhone 8 Plus 128GB ...
Apple Fitness Plus hero

Apple Announces New Fitness+ Workout Programs, Strava Challenge, and More

Friday January 2, 2026 6:43 am PST by
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch. The key announcements include: New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January. "Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...

Top Rated Comments

Caliber26 Avatar
64 months ago
Loose lips sink ships.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
syklee26 Avatar
64 months ago
Hyundai/Kia are public company. They were required by securities law of Korea to disclose something this morning (“Response to rumors”) That’s why Apple “cut off negotiation“ with them, so Apple can announce this first. They will “one more thing” this in March. WHy announce something that will not happen for 4-5 years? Because if Hyundai/Kia sign agreement with Apple, they have to disclose this.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
anshuvorty Avatar
64 months ago
Good call by Hyundai/Kia...you have to sell your soul to partner with Apple...Foxconn is a good example...
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Student of Life Avatar
64 months ago
Apple needs them more than Hyundai/Kia needs Apple. If it’s true what other realistic options does Apple have?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pubb Avatar
64 months ago
I feel like this may be like the Bill Clinton parsing of the word "is".

"No, we are not currently in negotiations" which is totally true.

*walks back into conference room to negotiate with Apple*
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bluetoot- Avatar
64 months ago

As they shouldn't be.... Do you really think high end Apple wants to associate with budget market vehicles such as Kia or Hyundai? yes I know the sonata is ranked fairly high in the sedan market but they are still budget vehicles.
The Hyundai and Kia brands may be budget, but Hyundai’s manufacturing prowess is nothing to scoff at. You should look it up; it’s quite interesting
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)