Apple to Invest $3.6 Billion in Kia Motors for Apple Car Production

Apple is rumored to be planning to invest 4 trillion won ($3.6 billion) in Kia Motors as part of a planned manufacturing partnership between the two companies, according to Korean site DongA Ilbo (via Bloomberg).

Apple car wheel icon feature triad
Apple and Kia (an affiliate of Hyundai) are said to be establishing a production relationship that will see Kia build Apple Cars at its U.S. facility located in Georgia.

Apple could sign a deal with Kia as soon as February 17, with the aim of introducing Apple Cars in 2024, though that release timeline is earlier than some prior launch estimates. Apple and Kia are aiming to produce 100,000 vehicles per year when manufacturing kicks off.

There have been multiple reports of a partnership between Apple and Hyundai, and prior reports have suggested that Hyundai's Kia brand will handle manufacturing. Earlier in January, Korea IT News also said that electric vehicles manufactured by Apple would likely be made at Kia's Georgia factory.

When rumors of talks between Hyundai and Apple first hit, Hyundai confirmed that it was holding discussions with Apple, but later revised the statement and eliminated the Apple mention.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today that Apple is planning to collaborate with Hyundai and will use Hyundai's E-GMP battery electric vehicle platform for its first vehicle chassis in addition to using the Kia factory for U.S. production. Kuo believes an Apple Car will come in 2025 "at the earliest" but Apple is already on a tight schedule if it wants to meet that deadline, so a launch could be pushed back further.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
We are still waiting for the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to come out, so the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week or two away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Apple Logo Black

Apple's Next Launch is 'Imminent'

Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models. "All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
iOS 26 Home Feature

Apple Gives Final Warning to Home App Users

Tuesday February 3, 2026 8:55 am PST by
In 2022, Apple introduced a new Apple Home architecture that is "more reliable and efficient," and the deadline to upgrade and avoid issues is fast approaching. In an email this week, Apple gave customers a final reminder to upgrade their Home app by February 10, 2026. Apple says users who do not upgrade may experience issues with accessories and automations, or lose access to their smart...
Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple's CarPlay Ultra to Expand to These Vehicle Brands Later This Year

Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. In his Powe...
imac video apple feature

Apple Makes Its Second-Biggest Acquisition Ever

Tuesday February 3, 2026 12:45 pm PST by
Apple recently acquired Israeli startup Q.ai for close to $2 billion, according to Financial Times sources. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone maker Beats in 2014. This is also the largest known Apple acquisition since the company purchased Intel's smartphone modem business and patents for $1 billion in 2019....

Top Rated Comments

steve09090 Avatar
65 months ago

Nothing says 'this is our first attempt' like Kia.

Maybe I am being harsh. Is Kia a premium vehicle now? Last I checked speakers were options.
Mercedes in Germany & Jeep in the USA are rated well below Kia (in top position) in reliability.

Hyundai's Genesis is rated the highest of any luxury car for reliability. And of course, Hyundai own Kia. So I reckon Apple are in pretty good hands.

Edit: Genesis was rated best premium brand for the last 4 years!

https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-news/kia-the-best-quality-new-car-brand-in-2020-study-as-tesla-debuts-in-last-place-unofficially

Double Edit: Here is the actual report: https://www.jdpower.com/sites/default/files/file/2020-06/2020070%20U.S.%20IQS.pdf
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
soa Avatar
65 months ago
Hopefully kia just handles the production and apple designs the whole car instead of ripping one off of the kia lineup.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Scoob Redux Avatar
65 months ago

Nothing says 'this is our first attempt' like Kia.

Maybe I am being harsh. Is Kia a premium vehicle now? Last I checked speakers were options.
While my personal cars are Porsche and Tesla, I rent a lot of cars when I travel for work and I love Kia. I always choose them when possible over the alternatives in their categories. Fit and finish as well as features are excellent. This isn't Kia of the old days :)
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
filmantopia Avatar
65 months ago

I still can’t see Apple making a car. Just seems like an investor pipe dream.
Always there are comments like this as rumors brew for a new Apple flagship product. It takes some imagination but it's not hard at all to see Apple doing it.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bistroengine Avatar
65 months ago

Mercedes in Germany & Jeep in the USA are rated well below Kia (in top position) in reliability.

Hyundai's Genesis is rated the highest of any luxury car for reliability. And of course, Hyundai own Kia. So I reckon Apple are in pretty good hands.

Edit: Genesis was rated best premium brand for the last 4 years!

https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-news/kia-the-best-quality-new-car-brand-in-2020-study-as-tesla-debuts-in-last-place-unofficially

Double Edit: Here is the actual report: https://www.jdpower.com/sites/default/files/file/2020-06/2020070 U.S. IQS.pdf ('https://www.jdpower.com/sites/default/files/file/2020-06/2020070%20U.S.%20IQS.pdf')
My boss just bought a new 2021 Genesis GV80. Hot damn it’s a nice looking SUV! It’s got crazy luxury features all over the place inside too.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bistroengine Avatar
65 months ago
I still can’t see Apple making a car. Just seems like an investor pipe dream.

I will add, after thinking about it for a bit, I CAN see Apple licensing an advanced version of CarPlay with assisted driving and Apple Maps tied closely together. Take it a step further and the system may even have some type of Augmented Reality heads up display in the windshield also. Also thinking smart phone unlocking and digital car keys would be part of the system as well. Apple's investment with KIA may be to have them build one of the first cars with this advanced CarPlay system built right in. It will still be branded a KIA vehicle but probably advertised with 'Apple Smart Drive' or whatever it ends up being called.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)