TOKYO (Reuters) – Nissan Motor Co Ltd said on Monday it was not in talks with Apple Inc after news that the iPhone maker had approached the Japanese company in recent months about a deal for its autonomous car project .
The Financial Times said the companies had brief discussions that faltered about Nissan’s reluctance to become an Apple-branded car maker, adding that the negotiations had not advanced to the senior management level.
“We are not negotiating 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 were also a factor in this month’s collapse in early stage negotiations on self-driving electric cars between South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co and the U.S. tech giant.
Reuters reported in December that Apple was moving ahead with autonomous car technology and intended to produce a passenger car that could include its own innovative battery technology as early as 2024.
Reporting by Eimi Yamamitsu in Tokyo, Nandakumar D and Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Edwina Gibbs