And now it’s Nissan who says it is not teaming up with Apple on self-driving cars.
Just a week after reports of a Hyundai-Apple partnership was shot down, Japanese auto maker Nissan said Monday there is no truth to the idea that it is partnering with Apple to develop self-driving cars.
The top-secret discussions on Apple’s Project Titan have had more denials about progress than publicly known progress over the past couple of years.
The recent report from the Financial Times held that Apple, the Tim Cook-led iPhone maker, had approached Nissan about combining forces on the project, which did not go ahead.
The talks ended because of a disagreement over branding, according to the newspaper report.
“We are not in talks with Apple. However, Nissan is always open to exploring collaborations and partnerships to accelerate industry transformation,” the Japanese firm said.
It seems automakers are reluctant to jump in with Apple and share the spoils of success.
South Korea’s Hyundai and its affiliate Kia also denied reports of a plan to team with Apple on self-driving cars following various reports that identified a potential partnership to develop vehicles and batteries.
A source close to Nissan told news outlet AFP that the company “doesn’t need Apple to sell” its cars.
“When you make a product under the Apple brand, you give your soul — and your profit margins — to Apple,” the source said on condition of anonymity.
“We are not interested in giving Apple the best that we offer. This should be under the Nissan brand.”
Apple discussed interest in developing autonomous cars in 2016, and Cook has said he saw the vehicles as a “core technology” for the future.
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