Apple Reportedly Sent Team of Employees to South Korea to Discuss Apple Car Development

A team of Apple employees that are part of Apple Car's development reportedly visited South Korea on a secret business trip to meet with. local companies, such as LG, the SK Group, and others, to discuss Apple's automotive ambitions and possible business opportunities.

Apple car wheel icon feature blue
That is, at least, according to a report citing South Korean sources from Taiwanese DigiTimes, who claim that during their trip, the employees met with LG and the SK Group, a prominent South Korean company consisting of 95 subsidiary companies, to discuss the Apple Car.

The report says that the meeting was part of Apple's continued efforts to find partners suitable for joining its Apple Car supply chain. Apple is said to be actively seeking new suppliers and major business partners that will help launch its autonomous vehicle.

A separate report by The Korea Times cites a senior executive who said that Apple officials were in South Korea to seek "business partners in Korea for its EV business" and that "without partnerships with Korean vendors, Apple won't be able to complete its EV business plan." The executive said talks are "still in the early stages."

The report continues noting that Apple held "advanced" meetings with subsidiaries of SK Group and LG Electronics. Apple is possibly eyeing partners in South Korea thanks to its alleged plan to use lithium iron phosphate batteries in the Apple Car, which South Korean suppliers are currently mass-producing.

While Apple is seeking suppliers outside of the United States, the company is also reportedly committed to ensuring that the battery used in the Apple Car will be produced in the United States. Speculation may lead some to believe that part of Apple's goal in South Korea was an attempt to convince suppliers to build factories in the United States.

Apple has been working on its autonomous vehicle for the past few years, but it's not expected to be official until at least 2025, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Popular Stories

Apple iPhone 16e Feature

Apple Announces iPhone 16e With A18 Chip and Apple Intelligence, Pricing Starts at $599

Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:02 am PST by
Apple today introduced the iPhone 16e, its newest entry-level smartphone. The device succeeds the third-generation iPhone SE, which has now been discontinued. The iPhone 16e features a larger 6.1-inch OLED display, up from a 4.7-inch LCD on the iPhone SE. The display has a notch for Face ID, and this means that Apple no longer sells any iPhones with a Touch ID fingerprint button, marking the ...
iphone 17 pro asherdipps

iPhone 17 Pro Models Rumored to Feature Aluminum Frame Instead of Titanium Frame

Tuesday February 18, 2025 12:02 pm PST by
Over the years, Apple has switched from an aluminum frame to a stainless steel frame to a titanium frame for its highest-end iPhones. And now, it has been rumored that Apple will go back to using aluminum for three out of four iPhone 17 models. In an investor note with research firm GF Securities, obtained by MacRumors this week, Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu said the iPhone 17, iPhone...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

Here Are the New Apple Products We're Still Expecting This Spring

Thursday February 20, 2025 5:06 am PST by
Now that Apple has announced its new more affordable iPhone 16e, our thoughts turn to what else we are expecting from the company this spring. There are three product categories that we are definitely expecting to get upgraded before spring has ended. Keep reading to learn what they are. If we're lucky, Apple might make a surprise announcement about a completely new product category. M4...
Generic iOS 18

Here's When Apple Will Release iOS 18.4

Wednesday February 19, 2025 11:38 am PST by
Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, Apple updated its iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia pages to give a narrower timeline on when the next updates are set to launch. All three pages now state that new Apple Intelligence features and languages will launch in early April, an update from the more broader April timeframe that Apple provided before. The next major point updates will be iOS ...
apple launch feb 2025

Tim Cook Teases an 'Apple Launch' Next Wednesday

Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag. The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle. Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
apple c1

Apple Unveils 'C1' as First Custom Cellular Modem

Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:08 am PST by
Apple today announced its first custom cellular modem with the name "C1," debuting in the all-new iPhone 16e. The new modem contributes to the iPhone 16e's power efficiency, giving it the longest battery life of any iPhone with a 6.1-inch display, such as the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16. Expanding the benefits of Apple silicon, C1 is the first modem designed by Apple and the most...
Apple Northbrook

Apple Store Permanently Closing at Struggling Mall in Chicago Area

Tuesday February 18, 2025 8:46 pm PST by
Apple is permanently closing its retail store at the Northbrook Court shopping mall in the Chicago area. The company confirmed the upcoming closure today in a statement, but it has yet to provide a closing date for the location. Apple Northbrook opened in 2005, and the store moved to a larger space in the mall in 2017. Apple confirmed that affected employees will continue to work for the...

Top Rated Comments

bivalvegruff Avatar
46 months ago
Apple sent team of employees to North Korea to discuss mass surveillance.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Blackstick Avatar
46 months ago

Apple is completely incapable of making the cost-effective car that the world needs. They are capable of producing an overpriced car that doesn't sell and is shelved a few years later at the cost of Billions.
Your opinion reads like the iPhone doubters in 2005. ('https://www.dslreports.com/forum/r12798022-Why-Apple-must-come-out-with-iPhone')
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LFC2020 Avatar
46 months ago
Digitimes again ?‍♂️?‍♂️?‍♂️?‍♂️?‍♂️
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
citysnaps Avatar
46 months ago

Apple is completely incapable of making the cost-effective car that the world needs. They are capable of producing an overpriced car that doesn't sell and is shelved a few years later at the cost of Billions.
Yeah...just like Apple's music player and smart phone were overpriced and thus predicted to fail.

Yeppers... Apple, one of the most successful companies on the globe with 150,000 employees worldwide has no idea what they're doing.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
46 months ago
Just focus on collaborating with Tesla. All problems will be solved.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Wildkraut Avatar
46 months ago
And 5-8 years later they‘ll add their iCar C1 to a legacy list. W00t? Repair? No way, too old!

During these 5-8 years, we will see stuff like:

* Windshield replacement costs: 10k
* Apple tyre that needs to be activated in FindMyWheels: 1000€£$ per tyre.
* iCar becomes incompatible with iOS25 and doesn’t turn on anymore.
* Firmware update breaks autopilot and drives iCar into the next lake. Apple downplays it with just 0.3% of iCars affected.
* iOS falsely flags your photos as child porn and disables your AppleID making your iCars steering wheel becomes unresponsive while driving.
* Your street becomes incompatible with iCarMaps, you file a bug to feedback@apple.com -> case closed: duplicate.
* Apple reject repairs if your iCar shows evidence of crashes or collisions, simply because it’s too dangerous to repair the iCar due to the battery.
* You’re autopiloting it wrong.
* Tinted side-windows peeling off.
* Battery draining.
* MiFi enforcement of iPedal compatible shoes.
* Multiuser subscription to allow iCar usage by more than one person.
* iCar wrongly drives German user to Sweet Home Alabama instead of Home
* MacRumors posting Deals for iCar Bumpers and Cases
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)