Apple requested cooperation from Hyundai Motor Company… Interest in the creation of the’Apple Car Alliance’

Input 2021.01.08 16:16

Apple, which is analyzed that it will start producing self-driving electric vehicles, Hyundai Motor Company (005380)Interest is being focused on the emergence of Apple Cars by requesting cooperation from global automakers including. When Apple’s finished car production plan becomes visible, it is expected that not only Hyundai Motors, but also various companies such as electronic parts will enter the joint market, creating the so-called’Apple Car Alliance’.

Hyundai Motor Company announced on the 8th that, regarding the Apple Car, “a number of companies are requesting cooperation for joint development of self-driving electric vehicles, but it has not been specifically decided at the initial stage of the discussion.”

Recently, the interest of the global IT and automobile industry is focusing on whether Apple will not only create autonomous vehicle software, but also release its own finished car like Tesla. Experts are paying attention to the’Titan Project’ that Apple has been running since 2014, and a detailed analysis that the project aims to launch an Apple car is also coming out.

The reason global companies are more interested in the emergence of Apple cars than consumers is that if they cooperate with Apple to produce finished cars, they are expected to create enormous added value. Considering Apple’s brand power in the global market, there is an expectation that it will surpass Tesla’s status if it launches its own vehicle. In the field of finished cars, it is necessary to produce more than 100,000 units per year in order to make profits, and Apple cannot complete autonomous electric vehicles with its own technology. I have no choice but to go out.

In particular, if Apple produces its own car, it is likely to decide to outsource, just like the iPhone. In this case, the role of partners is important. Apple designs smartphones and operating systems (OS) and outsources them to Foxconn to make finished products, and it is analyzed that Apple cars are likely to adopt the same production method as the iPhone.

In the industry, Hyundai Motors’ competitiveness as a partner of Apple is highly evaluated. Hyundai Motor Group has the world’s fifth-largest production base for finished cars, and the world’s second-largest EV and hydrogen car sales performance. Recently, it has unveiled E-GMP, a platform exclusively for electric vehicles, and has created an ecosystem that can reliably receive electronic components necessary for future mobility production. Kang Seong-jin, an analyst at KB Securities, said, “Hyundai Motor Group is an attractive cooperation target for IT companies that want to enter the car industry.” said.

Before Apple asked Hyundai Motor to discuss cooperation, Magna, the world’s third-largest auto parts maker, was prominently mentioned as a candidate for consignment production of Apple cars. Magna is consigning global brand vehicles such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche, Volkswagen, Ferrari, and Toyota. Because of this last month LG Electronics (066570)When the company announced that it had established a joint venture to produce electric vehicle powertrains with Magna, it was also predicted that the joint venture would supply parts necessary for the production of Apple cars.

Earlier last month, news was reported that Apple decided to jointly develop artificial intelligence (AI) chips for self-driving cars with TSMC, a Taiwanese foundry (consigned semiconductor production) company. TSMC is working with STMicroelectronics to further develop gallium hydrogen nitride (GaN) technology to be used in hybrid car converters and chargers, reports that this is a development related to Apple cars.