--- title: "Apple Is Trying to Find a Manufacturer For Its Self-Driving Car" description: "According to a recent statement, South Korean automaker Hyundai Motors is in early-stage talks with tech titan Apple to develop an electric car." date: "2021-01-08" modified: "2021-01-08" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/apple-find-manufacturer-self-driving-car" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Self-Driving Vehicles" tags: - "apple" - "electric cars" - "Hyundai" - "the digest" --- # Apple Is Trying to Find a Manufacturer For Its Self-Driving Car ![According to a recent statement, South Korean automaker Hyundai Motors is in early-stage talks with tech titan Apple to develop an electric car.]() *\Image: Victor Tangermann\* ## Apple x Hyundai South Korean automaker Hyundai Motors is in early stage talks with tech titan Apple to develop an electric car, [*CNBC* reports](). Shares of the manufacturer surged by 19 percent following the news. Hyundai isn't the only carmaker in talks with Apple. "We understand that Apple is in discussion with a variety of global automakers, including Hyundai Motor," a Hyundai Motor rep told *CNBC*. "As the discussion is at its early stage, nothing has been decided." ## Project Titan According to [a report]() by *Korea Economic Daily*, Apple is looking to release the car in 2027 and is including both battery development and vehicle production in its proposal. The news comes after rumors swirled around Apple's Project Titan, its efforts to develop its own autonomous electric car. Project Titan was first established just over five years ago and has remained shrouded in secrecy ever since. A [*Reuters* report]() published last month pushed the timeline even further, claiming that Apple has plans to release a vehicle [as soon as 2024](). Apple is reportedly planning to radically redesign car batteries, cutting costs and increasing range significantly. ## Implications It would be a stunning departure for the computer and phone giant to build its own car. Analysts Daniel Ives and Strecker Backe told *CNBC* that Apple only had a 35 to 40 percent chance to build its own car thanks to "Herculean-like auto production capabilities, battery technology ramp, financial model implications, and regulatory hurdles involved in such a game changing initiative." But then again, Tesla has now made [Elon Musk the richest person on Earth]() — creating vast incentives for others to crowd into the electric vehicle space. **READ MORE:** [Hyundai Motor says it’s in early talks with Apple to develop a car, sends shares soaring 19%]() \[*CNBC*\] **More on Project Titan:** *[Apple Is Reportedly Releasing a Self-Driving Car in 2024]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()