The much-rumored Apple Car project seems to be progressing following reports that Apple has begun talks with South Korean suppliers. The company is said to be looking to select partners that will help it produce an electric self-driving vehicle.
The report comes via ET News and suggests that Apple had a team visit South Korea in December of 2021 with the aim of meeting with suppliers. It’s thought that Apple was speaking to suppliers that it hopes will be able to provide some of the core components required for Apple Car, with experience in mass production critical.
It’s also suggested that Apple’s entrance into the market has kicked off an “all-out war” among parts suppliers in the country.
Via machine translation:
The domestic parts industry has started an all-out war to enter the supply chain (SCM) of Apple’s self-driving electric vehicle ‘Apple Car’. Apple is expected to complete the selection of an Apple car supplier within the year and begin full-scale development. Apple is known to be highly interested in Korean companies in the field of core parts.
The report goes on to say that Apple demanded that one company’s “electronic parts production capacity be more than doubled” although it isn’t yet known whether any deal was struck.
It’s also thought that some of Apple’s current iPhone suppliers are also keen to get involved with the Apple Car project, with some having set up a task force to try and ensure that the opportunity doesn’t pass them by.
As long as the Apple Car rumors have been in the news it does still feel like very early days for the project. Apple was thought to be working with traditional carmakers in the hopes of striking an agreement that would see the likes of Hyundai and Kia build the electric vehicles. It isn’t immediately clear whether those discussions are still ongoing, however.
