Oliver Haslam on February 5, 2021, 7:46 pm

Apple Looks To Japanese Automakers For Apple Car Supplies As Kia Discusses Manufacturing Partnerships

The Apple Car rumors continue to swirl with a new Wall Street Journal report claiming that Apple’s propose manufacturing partner Kia is also looking for its own partners as it plans to build Apple’s autonomous car.

Kia and parent company Hyundai are said to be in talks with Apple over potentially building Apple Cars in the state of Georgia. Apple reportedly wants the self-driving cars to be built in the United States.

Kia Corp. has approached potential partners about a plan to assemble Apple Inc.’s long-awaited electric car in Georgia, according to people familiar with the matter. The proposal would involve a multibillion-dollar investment, according to people familiar with the matter, who stress that a deal hasn’t been completed.

Hyundai has talked to Apple about investing more than $3 billion in a deal that would see its subsidiary Kia begin building cars under the tech company’s brand as soon as 2024, a person familiar with the matter said. Under such an agreement, up to 100,000 vehicles could be assembled in the first year in Georgia, where Kia has a factory, the person said.

A separate Nikkei report claims that multiple Japanese carmakers are in discussion with Apple over manufacturing deals. Honda and Mazda said they wouldn’t talk about rumors, while Mitsubishi said it had not spoken with Apple. Nissan simply declined to comment.

Talks of an Apple Car deal with car manufacturers have been circulating a whole lot in recent days and weeks, suggesting something is afoot. Hyundai almost confirmed it was talking with Apple before backtracking.