Nissan Motor Co. on Sunday said it was not in talks with Apple Inc. to develop an autonomous electric car, Reuters reported.
Earlier, the Financial Times reported Apple had initiated brief, low-level talks that ended over the Japanese auto maker’s reluctance to manufacture Apple-branded cars.
“We are not in talks with Apple,” a Nissan spokeswoman said, according to Reuters. “However, Nissan is always open to exploring collaborations and partnerships to accelerate industry transformation.”
Nissan shares 7201, -2.84% fell 3% in Tokyo trading.
Apple AAPL, +0.18% is reportedly looking to partner with an auto maker to launch a self-driving electric car as soon as 2024.
Last week, South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co. 005380, +1.02% said it was no longer in talks with Apple, after leaking word of negotiations in January.