South Korean automaker Kia has introduced the EV5 SUV concept in China. The EV5 SUV is an all-electric EV that is expected to launch later this year. The showcase event was the Kia EV day and the concept will expectedly be released in China first.

The concept EV5 SUV was developed under Kia’s new design philosophy of Opposites United. It embodies the brand’s shifting focus from ICE to electrification. The China unveiling of the concept is also aimed at boosting the marketing presence of Kia in the very vibrant Chinese market.

The Kia EV5 concept has a strong exterior design, with flat floor EV architecture. There are swivel seats inside the car and these are rotatable by 180 degrees. Kia provided a couple of images of the exterior and interior of the EV5 SUV displayed at the Kia EV Day event. There are still several details lacking for the concept car. The drivetrain, battery, and infotainment system are a few of these.

Kia hopes to make substantial sales of the K5 sedans and Sorento SUVs up to 170,000 units in China this year. This is a projected 80 percent improvement from its 2022 performance of 95,000 units sold. China remains the largest auto market in the world. However, Kia may have been affected by the seeming tensions between Seoul and Beijing. The political atmosphere on both sides may be affecting business but Kia hopes to make further progress in China. The Kia EV5 SUV is expected to drive demand for Kia’s product when it eventually debuts in China.

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Recently, multiple reports had surfaced regarding the Apple Car and the company’s supposed production partners. We had previously covered news regarding Hyundai and its subsidiary Kia partnering with the iPhone maker for its electric car production, but it has now been confirmed that this is not the case.

Back in January 2021, Hyundai revealed that it was in talks with the Cupertino based giant regarding a potential partnership for Apple Car. But then, the automobile maker then revised the statement to working with various car brands on self driving technology and shared no specifics regarding the matter. After which, multiple reports surfaced that suggested that both Hyundai and Apple are working on a possible deal. Furthermore, it was also revealed that Hyundai’s subsidiary Kia Motors was also in the picture.

The reason for the partnership is over the automotive manufacturer’s US based firms and reports even had a supposed 3.6 billion US Dollar investment in the ‘talks.’ But now, Hyundai and Kia have confirmed that the companies are not in talks with Apple regarding its Apple Car production. Both firms stated that they “have been talking with multiple companies about autonomous electric car development,” but have not made any confirmations so far.

In other words, the Apple Car project’s future is currently unclear, at least in terms of a potential partner for its first all electric self driving car. While the news might put the project in the backseat, it is still indicative of the smartphone maker’s growing interest in its electric vehicle offering. So stay tuned for more, as we will be providing updates when additional information is available.

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Last month, Hyundai Motor confirmed that the company is in talks with Apple for the production of the tech giant’s ambitious project of making its own autonomous driving vehicle, which is currently being referred to as Apple Car.

It was expected that both the companies will reach a deal by the end of March this year, for the production of Apple Car. But a couple of days ago, it was being reported that the companies may have halted the talks.

Hyundai and Kia have now confirmed that the company has ended talks with Apple related to the production of Apple Car, the tech giant’s upcoming autonomous driving vehicle. In a regulatory filing, Hyundai and Kia said the two firms had received requests from multiple outfits about self-driving electric car development, but no decision had been made as the talks were at the early stages.

During the talks, it was suggested that Hyundai would bring production to the United States, operating a factory in Georgia controlled by Kia with an aim of producing 100,000 cars by 2024. It could have also involved an investment of $3.6 billion from Apple to make the project a reality.

While the talks with Hyundai and Kia have ended without reaching a deal, the status of talks with other companies with Apple is not yet known. Earlier, it was reported that the US-based tech giant was speaking to at least six Japanese automakers at the same time.

Based on the previous reports, Apple plans to make commercial cars by 2024 but that timeline seems aggressive and has already been questioned by many, including notable Apple Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Some reports indicate that it will take around 5-7 years for the Apple Car to go into production.

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A new report has revealed that Apple and Kia are nearing a deal that would have the former make a 3.6 billion US Dollar investment into the latter for the manufacturing of electric vehicles in the future.

According to a DongA report (Via GSMArena), the Cupertino based giant is apparently planning on working with the Hyundai subsidiary, Kia, for its production site in Georgia, US. Reportedly, the iPhone maker is expecting that its large investment production of electric vehicles will begin by the year 2024. Apple targets on reaching 100,000 cars being produced per year, with future expansion growing the number to 400,000 units per year.

The report arrives from sources close to the matter, which have stated that Apple is leaning towards Hyundai as its primary partner to enter into car production. The main reason for this is due to the automobile giant’s electric vehicle platform, E-GMP, along with its production facilities in the US and the supposed ability to begin production by the year 2024. Kia will be responsible for handling the production and manufacturing process.

Meanwhile, Apple will be in control of the self driving or autonomous systems. This would include the software, hardware, user experience, battery technologies, semiconductors, and other aspects. Furthermore, Apple and Hyundai have been in talks for the the electric vehicle production for a while now. Currently, it is unclear if the deal is set in stone as reports claim that the automobile maker’s execs are still assessing the deal, while other news claim that the company is more than ready to enter into the deal. So stay tuned for more updates regarding this matter.

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Reports from South Korea had indicated that Korean automaker Hyundai may be the preferred manufacturer that will lead the charge in the much awaited Apple car project. Rumours are rife that Hyundai Motor is close to penning a partnership agreement with the company.

Hyundai, in a statement on Wednesday, said it is looking at cooperation with foreign firms with capacity and expertise in self-driving and electric cars. The statement by Hyundai is instructive, as the company had, on several occasions, refused to comment on any speculation surrounding work on an Apple Car.

However, tipsters have continued to predict that the Apple car project is still alive, and progressing with its development. This month, a raft of reports had mentioned Apple and its progress in developing the Apple car. Some reports have also projected that the car will be ready as early as 2024.

A prototype may be unveiled in 2022, according to another report, while it was even mentioned that the production plant will be Kia’s factory in Georgia. It should be noted that the Kia brand is owned by Hyundai Motor Corporation.

Seemingly, the wave of rumours and leaks concerning the Apple car could indicate that we may be approaching a big announcement from Apple in terms of the development of the much expected electric smart vehicle.

Research on evolving battery technology for electric vehicles and autonomous mobility systems could be the potential catalyst that could yield a revolutionary car, and Apple wants to be at the fire of such a breakthrough by researching those aspects actively.

Choosing an established automaker to handle final production is certainly an inevitable and logical choice since Apple does not have the expertise to build any car, much more smart cars.

So, we keep our fingers crossed while we await what becomes of this new partnership between Apple and Kia.

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(source)

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