Apple is close to finalising an agreement with Hyundai-Kia to build an Apple-branded autonomous electric vehicle in West Point, Georgia, according to unnamed sources cited by CNBC. The deal reportedly depends on the automaker allowing Apple to control the software and hardware that will go into the vehicle. In other words, this will be an “Apple Car,” not a Kia model featuring Apple software, said the sources.
The vehicle will also be driverless, according to another source. “These will be autonomous, electric vehicles designed to operate without a driver and focused on the last mile,” said the source. This could mean Apple cars could at an initial stage focus on package food delivery operations and firms incorporating robotaxis, suggested the report, adding that the vehicle is tentatively scheduled to go into production in 2024, though this could be pushed back.
