Hyundai agrees deal to build Apple car

Hyundai Motor and Apple Inc have agreed to enter a partnership to create a pure-electric autonomous vehicle that will see the Korean car-maker build the Apple car from 2024.

According to Reuters, once production of the Apple car has begun, Hyundai and the Californian-based tech giant are planning to launch a fully self-driving electric vehicle in 2027.

The tie-up with Apple and the Korean auto group has seen Hyundai Motor shares increase by nearly 20 per cent.

Until recently, it was thought the Apple car project was dead in the water. But just before Christmas a story broke that the Apple car, developed under the Project Titan codename, was back on track.

Giving it a competitive edge over its rivals, the iPhone creator will reportedly equip its first-ever vehicle with pioneering new batteries that are claimed to radically reduce the cost of production while boosting a vehicle's driving range.

As well as new battery tech, the Apple car is set for industry-leading autonomous driving aids. Apple is well known to have developed a system that uses multiple lidar sensors that are claimed to be more advanced and accurate than any current hardware available.

The new batteries, meanwhile, are said to feature a ‘monocell’ design that eliminates the pouches and modules other manufacturers rely on.

The design is claimed to allow more active material to be packaged densely within, giving the car a longer range.

Finally, Apple is developing lithium iron phosphate chemical-based cells that are said to be less likely to overheat than equivalent lithium-ion batteries.

According to rumours, the Apple car would be built at Kia's factory in Georgia or at an all-new facility built by Apple and Hyundai elsewhere within the US. Initially, the plans are to build 100,000 vehicles in 2024 before dialling up production to around 400,000 cars per year.

There are reports that Hyundai and Apple plan to release a 'beta version' of its Apple car as soon as next year. It's not known if that will consist of a fleet of prototypes or a limited run of vehicles for car fleets to run and gather data in the real world.

Neither Apple nor Hyundai Motor has officially commented on the new reports but it's said the details of the new joint venture will be finalised by early March.