Apple Car By Hyundai-Kia Might Be Autonomous Right From The Start

It has definitely been a busy week so far for Apple, at least as far as rumors about its electric vehicle are concerned. From the engine platform to potential partners, it seems that the stage is slowly being set for the so-called Apple Car. There is still some uncertainty, of course, on which car manufacturer the iPhone maker will go with but, according to the latest scoop. a partnership with Hyundai-Kia is more likely to result in a driver-less EV made in the US.

Hyundai's and Kia's names have come up repeatedly in rumors about the Apple Car, making them most likely to be the ones to manufacture the vehicle. There's even word that the car will use Hyundai's E-GMP Platform, which, of course, only makes sense if Apple inks the deal with Hyundai. Sources, however, don't discount the possibility that Apple would go with some other automaker in the end.

There is, however, an advantage to partnering with Kia, specifically, according to CNBC. The South Korean company has a production plant right in the US, apparently one of Apple's biggest requirements. The other is that it wants to have control not only over the software but also the hardware it will run on.

In other words, this will be a true "Apple Car" rather than a Kia car just with Apple inside. For Hyundai-Kia, this is still a big win even if they don't get to put their name directly in front. It falls in line with the company's renewed focus on introducing mobility into its vehicles.

An even bigger revelation is the possibility that the very first Apple Car will already be driver-less, a rather ambitious jump from having no car to having an autonomous electric vehicle. If true, Apple might then be aiming not for consumers immediately but for the delivery and e-taxi markets first.