Japanese carmaker Nissan Motor said that it is not in talks with Apple, regarding the iPhone maker’s rumoured autonomous car project.
Nissan’s statements follow global media reports saying that Apple approached the company about a potential partnership “in recent months.”
“We are not in talks with Apple,” a Nissan spokeswoman said, according to Reuters. “However, Nissan is always open to exploring collaborations and partnerships to accelerate industry transformation.”
According a report by the Financial Times, Apple and Nissan did initially discuss a potential tie-up but it did not advance to senior management levels following “divisions over branding.”
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Apple reportedly plans to move forward with its self-driving car project and eyes 2024 as the year to start productions of the vehicle. The car project will be centred on a ‘breakthrough’ battery technology that could ‘radically’ reduce the cost of batteries and increase the vehicle’s range.
In January, it was reported that Apple is working with Hyundai to develop autonomous cars, however, earlier this month the South Korean carmaker said that they are no longer in talks with the tech giant.
