Tech giant Apple's discussions with carmaker Nissan for a tie-up with its autonomous Apple Car reportedly faltered after Apple demanded the car be under its brand, as per a Financial Times report. The reports said that the talks didn't advance to senior manager level.
According to a Nissan spokesperson, it is not in talks with Apple and does not plan to make changes in its car making. There is a possibility of Nissan being downgraded as a hardware supplier as the automaker showed its reluctance for the tie-up, notes the report. Apple declined to comment on this.
The Apple Car or 'Project Titan' is Apple's attempt to bring out its autonomous car incorporated with Apple technology. Since early 2017, Apple has been testing its autonomous technology with heavy sensor apparatus mounted cars on California's public roads.
Last December, Reuters reported that Apple was on track to produce its autonomous car with its breakthrough battery technology which is to be unveiled in 2024. But Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reportedly said that such a project could not be finished and revealed no sooner than 2027.
While there is no confirmation on whether the project will be a tech one can buy to integrate into her vehicle, or hardware, or a smart car itself, Apple is reported to have approached various car manufacturers, including Volkswagen, Hyundai and now Nissan, for talks that didn't go much further.