Bulletins

Apple might have found someone to build the Apple Car

Apple might have found someone to build the Apple Car
Photo: LG Magna

A joint venture between LG and Magna International is close to a deal to build the Apple Car, according to The Korea Times.

Apple has reportedly had trouble finding a partner for its car project. It had been talking seriously with Hyundai on a vehicle that would go into production in 2024, but that deal reportedly fell apart after it was made public. Other automakers reportedly balked at Apple's insistence on everything being Apple-branded, and the company's famously controlling nature.

LG Magna would only be building Apple's first-generation electric vehicles, The Korea Times, said, which would be designed mostly to test both Apple's technology and the product's marketability. It could be a huge opportunity for LG, which bailed out of the smartphone business and is now trying to make its mark as an automaker. It already makes components for Tesla, GM and others, but building the Apple Car would lend it massive credibility in the space. Of course, a lot could still go wrong: The joint venture isn't scheduled to close for a few more months, and Apple doesn't like when word gets out about its suppliers.

David Pierce

David Pierce ( @pierce) is Protocol's former editorial director. Prior to joining Protocol, he was a columnist at The Wall Street Journal, a senior writer with Wired, and deputy editor at The Verge. He owns all the phones.

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