TOKYO (Reuters) – Nissan Motor Co Ltd said Monday it is not in talks with Apple Inc, following a report the iPhone maker approached the Japanese company in recent months about a commitment to its autonomous car project.
The Financial Times said the companies had held brief discussions that faltered over Nissan’s reluctance to become an assembler for Apple-branded cars, adding that the talks had not progressed to senior management levels.
“We are not in talks with Apple,” said a Nissan spokeswoman. “However, Nissan is always open to exploring collaborations and partnerships to accelerate the transformation of the industry.”
The spokeswoman declined to comment further.
Apple representatives were not immediately available for comment.
Concerns about becoming a mere contract manufacturer for Apple also played a role in this month’s collapse during early talks on autonomous electric cars between South Korean Hyundai Motor Co and the US technology giant.
Reuters reported in December that Apple is making advancements in autonomous car technology, aiming to produce a passenger car by 2024 that could contain its own breakthrough battery technology.
Reporting by Eimi Yamamitsu in Tokyo, Nandakumar D and Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Edwina Gibbs