[글로벌-Biz 24] Apple CEO Tim Cook silences electric car questions…Apple cars may be produced at Kia’s factory in the U.S.

It is known that Apple plans to start producing self-driving electric vehicles with the goal of 2024, but it is reluctant to keep Project Titan unofficial and leak information related to development.

According to auto evolution on the 19th (local time), Apple CEO Tim Cook said in an interview with Fox News on the weekend that “we can’t comment on the rumors,” when asked about the Apple car.

In a conversation with host Chris Wallace, Cook confirmed that it was Cook’s decision not to discuss the rumors, and not Apple’s internal policy.

Confidentiality is the reason why it makes no sense to talk about the project now, as many details about the Apple car have not yet been completed. It is reported that Apple is in discussions with Hyundai Motor Company on the possibility of a manufacturing transaction that is expected to reach an agreement by March this year.

If the two companies form a partnership, Hyundai may be in charge of manufacturing Apple cars at the Kia Motors plant in the United States, but it is also seeking to build a completely new facility in the United States for confidentiality and security.

The possibility of cooperation with potential partners who have not leaked prior discussions, like Hyundai Motor Company, is still open as Apple has not formulated anything.

As Apple has been manufacturing iPhones at Foxconn, Taiwan, Foxconn’s recent investment in Byton, an autonomous electric vehicle maker called Tesla in China, may not have anything to do with Apple car production.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Apple hopes to release a beta version or prototype of the car next year, and mass production is expected to begin in 2024.

The details of the Apple car project are expected to be released next month, and the industry is expected to watch especially as Apple discusses more details with industry partners.

Sua Kim, Global Economic Correspondent, [email protected]