<p style="text-align: center;"><img title="1610344619229144.jpg" alt="6.jpg" src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20210111/1610344619229144.jpg"/></p><p>&nbsp;Hyundai Motor&nbsp;and&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;Inc plan to sign a partnership deal on&nbsp;autonomous electric cars&nbsp;by March and start production as early as 2024 in the United States, local newspaper Korea IT News reported on Sunday.<br/><br/>The report follows a statement on Friday from Hyundai Motor that it was in early talks with Apple after another local media outlet said the companies were aiming to launch a self-driving electric car in 2027, sending Hyundai shares up nearly 20%.<br/><br/>Citing industry sources, the latest report said the pair plan to build the cars at Kia Motors&#39; factory in Georgia, or jointly invest in a new factory in the United States, with a plan to produce 100,000 vehicles in 2024 at the proposed plant with an annual capacity of 400,000 vehicles. Kia Motors is an affiliate of Hyundai Motors.</p><p><br/></p><p>The report said Hyundai and Apple plan to release a &quot;beta version&quot; of Apple cars next year.<br/><br/>Both Hyundai Motor and Apple did not have any immediate comment.<br/><br/>Reuters reported last month that Apple was moving forward with autonomous car technology and was aiming to produce a passenger vehicle that could include its own breakthrough battery technology as early as 2024.</p>