Apple Negotiating with Hyundai for Apple Car Production [Updated x2]

[69Mustang]

Four years of info. Classic. Mercedes builds higher quality vehicles than Hyundai, that is fact. If you disagree, you have zero knowledge of what is going into these vehicles. When did I mention reliability? I have been speaking on quality for quite some time now. Again, let me point you here: https://www.autoblog.com/2020/10/26/hyundai-kia-loss-engine-quality-issues/

What a quarter they recently had! 🤣 Better reliability in 2020 you say? Right.

From the article: "The years-long quality problems have cost Hyundai and Kia nearly $5 billion and left the pair subject to a probe by U.S. authorities over the manner of their recalls."

You Hyundai lovers clearly do not know that of which you speak, and it is showing.

Please don't confuse my refutation of your quote as a love of Hyundai. It's not. It's a disagreement with, and response to your "fact" post that contained no facts. Funny how you're trying to throw shade on my 4 years historical data, yet you keep trotting out that same data-point-of-one article as if it's definitive proof of your point.
Quality vs Reliability. So the semantic game it is.
Quality 2017 https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2017-us-initial-quality-study-iqs
Quality 2018 https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2018-us-initial-quality-study-iqs
Quality 2019 https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2019-initial-quality-study-iqs
Quality 2020 https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2020-initial-quality-study-iqs

 

[docbop]

Apple is planning to work with Hyundai on the upcoming Apple Car, according to a report from Korean site Korea Economic Daily.

The report suggests that Apple is in negotiations with Hyundai Motor Group to manufacture an Apple Car. Apple is said to be planning to work with Hyundai to produce electric vehicles and develop batteries due to the "enormous costs" of the technology and the necessary production facilities.

Multiple prior rumors have suggested that Apple will work with a manufacturing partner to produce the Apple Car, but until now, there hasn't been word on which manufacturer Apple might team up with. Since the report mentions "negotiations," a deal may not be established as of yet, so Apple's plans could change.

An Apple Car report earlier today from Bloomberg said that work on the project is still in the early stages and "nowhere near production stage," nor was there a mention of Hyundai. According to Bloomberg, it will be at least five to seven years before an Apple Car is ready to launch.

Update: In a statement to CNBC, Hyundai confirmed that it is in discussions with Apple. "We understand that Apple is in discussion with a variety of global automakers, including Hyundai Motor. As the discussion is at its early stage, nothing has been decided."

Update 2: Bloomberg reports that Hyundai again revised its statement, removing the reference to other automakers. A few hours after that, it issued another revision that omits Apple completely: "We've been receiving requests for potential cooperation from various companies regarding development of autonomous EVs," reads the latest version. "No decisions have been made as discussions are in early stage."

Article Link: Apple Negotiating with Hyundai for Apple Car Production [Updated x2]

Apple is obsessed with profit margins so it will be like a government contract and they will work with the lowest bidder.

 

[gbc204]

I had a Genesis and now a Palisade as my last two daily driver vehicles and they have been extremely high quality and above and beyond my expectations in both cases. Hyundai is a great partner for Apple, from my perspective.

This comes at the misfortune of American manufactures, that might not admit it, but would definitely jump at this opportunity.

I bought a Hyundai in part because they were one of the earliest adopters of CarPlay. Well, it broke a tie with another car. And I've since bought two Hyundais. Unlike Apple, you really get a lot of bang for your buck. If I were able to travel anywhere or even needed to drive these days, I'd strongly consider the new Genesis SUV. The interior of my Santa Fe is feels way nicer and frankly luxurious compared to a Tesla, which honestly feels really chintzy.
I always thought an Apple- VW partnership made sense, but if this is true I'd be pretty excited to see this car.

 

[Nütztjanix]

If you honestly think that Hyundai makes quality vehicles, then you have no idea what quality is, with all due respect. Those cars are rattling, plastic-y pieces of trash compared to a Mercedes, any Mercedes. This is not subjective, this is fact. Asian and American vehicles cannot compare to German vehicles when it comes to build quality alone. I'd rather buy American, but they are junk by comparison. Nothing in heaven or on earth would ever get me to buy an Apple car that has anything to do with Hyundai.

I'm sorry, but you're over-generalizing quite a bit here. There are lots of Mercedes that are also "rattling, plastic-y pieces of trash", not to mention their rust problems. That shouldn't be an issue nowadays, but for Mercedes, it always was and still is. Regarding German automobile makers, Mercedes is somewhat middle of the bunch regarding material selection, build quality and longevity. They have for years suffered from cost savings and engineering failures, with the W210, W168 and W203 series being the low point. They have been improving over the last years, but are still far from being the best.

 

[FlyBry]

I heard it was Chrysler.

I hope not. FCA is in financial upheaval and is currently due to be rebranded.

 

[69Mustang]

I hope not. FCA is in financial upheaval and is currently due to be rebranded.

They're going to be called Stellantis. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellantis

 

[FlyBry]

If you honestly think that Hyundai makes quality vehicles, then you have no idea what quality is, with all due respect. Those cars are rattling, plastic-y pieces of trash compared to a Mercedes, any Mercedes. This is not subjective, this is fact. Asian and American vehicles cannot compare to German vehicles when it comes to build quality alone. I'd rather buy American, but they are junk by comparison. Nothing in heaven or on earth would ever get me to buy an Apple car that has anything to do with Hyundai.

I honestly think Hyundai makes quality vehicles. We have 3 of them in the family now. I've been in the auto industry for over three decades, have written articles on automotive technology, and taught auto tech at the college level. I have some expertise here.
Mercedes has some good product but they also have had their fair share of problems. There are a lot of unhappy people who bought the Mercedes V6 with the disintegrating cam chain and gears or the variable intake manifolds that spit parts into the intake valves and cylinders. Both failures required new engines that typically were not covered by warranty. The air suspension on the Benz SUV's and sedans has a 90% failure rate after 4 years of ownership.
Don't get me started on BMW. They, Audi, and VW are problematic.

 

[FlyBry]

They're going to be called Stellantis. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellantis

or they're going to be called "bankrupt"

 

[Redbeard25]

"Due to the enormous cost?"

Apple is worth 25 Hyundai!

 

[FlyBry]

Well on the opposite side, I read hat the Stinger out of the box was great, but a year in, it hadn't held up as well as a BMW 3 Series.

But Kia is the lower end brand of Hyundai in the same way that Genesis is upper end.

One of our software engineers has a first year Stinger. So far, 58,000 miles in, he likes it. My brother's 3 series BMW was a huge disappointment at year 4.

 

[BeefCake 15]

Actually, they would be a great fit from a quality standpoint. Hyundai - meh. (I had a 2011 Tucson)

What company would ever turn away the potential of making more money? Bigger market share, regardless of what badge is on the car, yep, Toyota would be all over that.

Apple needs this to be a quality vehicle, but they won't be able to put much markup on the more expensive brands (and the German makers are too far out of reach from a pricing standpoint).

Yes, Tesla would have been ideal...but there's so much animosity between the companies, can't see that ever happening.

TSLA stock price is a modern marvel of the world....

 

[spinedoc77]

Please don't confuse my refutation of your quote as a love of Hyundai. It's not. It's a disagreement with, and response to your "fact" post that contained no facts. Funny how you're trying to throw shade on my 4 years historical data, yet you keep trotting out that same data-point-of-one article as if it's definitive proof of your point.
Quality vs Reliability. So the semantic game it is.
Quality 2017 https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2017-us-initial-quality-study-iqs
Quality 2018 https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2018-us-initial-quality-study-iqs
Quality 2019 https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2019-initial-quality-study-iqs
Quality 2020 https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2020-initial-quality-study-iqs

Don't forget that recall info on Hyundai is also "years" old, the latest recall vehicle was 2016. I like to put things in perspective, didn't Toyota pay a 1.2 billion settlement for unintended acceleration where people died, and didn't VW/Audi pay a 4.3 billion settlement in their emissions cheating. Wait a second, didn't Mercedes just pay a 2.2 billion settlement also for emissions cheating.

Personally I still stand behind my own litmus test of reliability, the length of the warranty. When German cars have the same warranty as Hyundai/Genesis then we can talk. I'm also not necessarily a Hyundai lover, but I do try to shop smart and getting a longer warranty for a less expensive vehicle is appealing to many. I've owned plenty of Audi's and Mercedes and I would put my prior lease G80 against any of them in the same category in terms of little things like ride quality, rattles, plastic, etc. You can pull up any recent review and see how well Genesis fares against German cars when put head to head.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Update 2 is not surprising. Hyundai wants to make sure they left the door open for any other alliances that in turn would bring lots of money. Specifying Apple may alienate others in the corporate. Cant have that. Have to try and be all things to all people. Its a lot of corporate drivel, in my opinion.

 

[Nütztjanix]

Update 2 is not surprising. Hyundai wants to make sure they left the door open for any other alliances that in turn would bring lots of money. Specifying Apple may alienate others in the corporate. Cant have that. Have to try and be all things to all people. Its a lot of corporate drivel, in my opinion.

Or, maybe, someone at Hyundai realizing (maybe too late) that Apple doesn't like this kind of media attention in such early stages.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Or, maybe, someone at Hyundai realizing (maybe too late) that Apple doesn't like this kind of media attention in such early stages.

That is a very good point as well, and probably more apropos than what I said.

 

[69Mustang]

Update 2 is not surprising. Hyundai wants to make sure they left the door open for any other alliances that in turn would bring lots of money. Specifying Apple may alienate others in the corporate. Cant have that. Have to try and be all things to all people. Its a lot of corporate drivel, in my opinion.

Not really, update 2 is about avoiding claims of stock manipulation. Correction: Their stock surged 19% or $8B on this rumor. A rumor caused by them. That could be deemed illegal. They may have pooped all over their chances since Apple hates doing business in the public eye. I'd hate to be on the receiving end of that phone call from Cupertino.

Car companies have been in bed with each other for as long as I can remember.
https://www.hotcars.com/15-excellent-car-company-collaborations-and-the-cars-they-created/ Here's a mix of "Dang, I did not know that", "Oh, I think I already knew that", and "Get the eff out and quit lyin" There are many many many more examples, the most recent being: https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/gm-honda-acura-electric-cars-us-mexico/

 

[Apple_Robert]

Not really, update 2 is about avoiding claims of stock manipulation. Their stock rose 8% on this rumor. A rumor caused by them. That could be deemed illegal.

Car companies have been in bed with each other for as long as I can remember.
https://www.hotcars.com/15-excellent-car-company-collaborations-and-the-cars-they-created/ Here's a mix of "Dang, I did not know that", "Oh, I think I already knew that", and "Get the eff out and quit lyin" There are many many many more examples, the most recent being: https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/gm-honda-acura-electric-cars-us-mexico/

That is a good point about the stock. I was unaware of that aspect.

 

[0423MAC]

Surprising. No matter how good Hyundai may be at what they do or how their quality has improved since they first started marketing cars, Apple and Hyundai just don’t seem to occupy the same brand cachet. Hyundai isn’t exactly the first make to pop into my head when thinking about interesting designs or top end materials, which are at Apple’s center. “AppleCar by Hyundai” sounds weird, almost an ironic joke, compared to, say, “AppleCar by Audi.”

You guys are really caught up in the “brand cachet”. I’m sure Hyundai can figure out Space Gray, Silver, product red and gold color options that you would feel proud to unlock with your Apple Watch.

I doubt “AppleCar by Hyundai” will be a marketing term. We might however get some documents with mentions of Hyundai. The horror!

 

[Nütztjanix]

[…] I’m sure Hyundai can figure out Space Gray, Silver, product red and gold color options that you would feel proud to unlock with your Apple Watch. […]

I like that part!

 

[moabal]

One of our software engineers has a first year Stinger. So far, 58,000 miles in, he likes it. My brother's 3 series BMW was a huge disappointment at year 4.

Stinger gang represent! I do find it a bit crazy on an Apple forum post about a potential future Apple car it has devolved into an argument between quality between German vs Korean cars.

Regardless, because Hyundai probably broke NDA, there is a lower chance Apple will want to work with them.

 

[Nütztjanix]

Stinger gang represent! I do find it a bit crazy on an Apple forum post about a potential future Apple car it has devolved into an argument between quality between German vs Korean cars.

Regardless, because Hyundai probably broke NDA, there is a lower chance Apple will want to work with them.

At least nobody has mentioned any "-gate" yet!

 

[moabal]

I'm sorry, but you're over-generalizing quite a bit here. There are lots of Mercedes that are also "rattling, plastic-y pieces of trash", not to mention their rust problems. That shouldn't be an issue nowadays, but for Mercedes, it always was and still is. Regarding German automobile makers, Mercedes is somewhat middle of the bunch regarding material selection, build quality and longevity. They have for years suffered from cost savings and engineering failures, with the W210, W168 and W203 series being the low point. They have been improving over the last years, but are still far from being the best.

I think people conflate ”high tech and digital screens” as higher quality. Your average German certainly has more screens and gadgets. However, that does not mean it is better quality. As a Kia Stinger owner I can confidently say that the interior surpasses base level German cars.

Obviously you have to try and compare Apples to Apples (no pun intended). But it can be difficult. Blind admiration for one brand or another is clearly bias. However, people have to recognize that Kia/Hyundai/Genesis clearly have the ability to make high quality cars.

Look no further than their cars on the upper end of the spectrum. Frankly, on the lower end all cars, regardless of brand, are all the same plasticy stuff. However, Asian cars will usually be less costlier to repair than German all else being equal.

 

[Nütztjanix]

I think people conflate ”high tech and digital screens” as higher quality. Your average German certainly has more screens and gadgets. However, that does not mean it is better quality. As a Kia Stinger owner I can confidently say that the interior surpasses base level German cars. Obviously you have to try and compare Apples to Apples. But it can be difficult. Blind admiration for one brand or another is not great. However, people have to recognize that Kia/Hyundai/Genesis clearly can make high quality cars at the upper end. On the lower end, they are all the same plasticy stuff regardless of brand.

Yes and no. You also are oversimplifying here, at least in your last sentence. If I compare (what one might count as "lower end" in Germany) the interior of a Hyundai i20, a Ford Fiesta and a VW Polo (from, let's say 2018 for comparisons sake), there's a noticeable difference in materials as well as in fit and finish. That is explicitly not counting screens or gadgets.

 

[Kabeyun]

You guys are really caught up in the “brand cachet”. I’m sure Hyundai can figure out Space Gray, Silver, product red and gold color options that you would feel proud to unlock with your Apple Watch.

I doubt “AppleCar by Hyundai” will be a marketing term. We might however get some documents with mentions of Hyundai. The horror!

It’s almost as if people are trying not to understand a point just to be provocative. Apple is well known to be thought of as a higher end brand. It has been voted the highest value brand over many years. We’re not making this up. You can look it up yourself. So pairing it with Hyundai, which is not, felt surprising. Not unworkable, just surprising on the face of it. Grasp it. It’s OK. And no one ever said that would be the name of the product. I was making a point about this unusual-seeming collaboration, just as we were all sure that Apple’s requirements for an industry partner in this project extend beyond their ability to reproduce colors.

 

[yngrshr]

lul. No one's paying Apple's premium markup for a rebranded Hyundai. foh.

Someone doesn't realize just how good Hyundai and Genesis are. I don't even own one, but I fully understand just how good modern-day Hyundai and Genesis are.