Talks between Apple and the Hyundai-Kia group on partnering to develop and build a car are progressing well, according to a report by CNBC. In fact, the two companies are believed to be close to reaching an agreement that would entail Kia building an Apple-badged electric, autonomous vehicle at its assembly plant in West Point, Georgia.
See also: Hyundai and Apple Discuss Electrification... and Partnership
According to CNBC’s sources, the eventual agreement depends on one important detail, namely that Apple controls both the technology of the vehicle and its physical appearance. In other words, we would not be getting a recognizably Kia or Hyundai model equipped with Apple's signature technology, but rather a distinct Apple vehicle built by the Korean manufacturer, in the United States, under Apple's direction.
The nuance there is important.
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