The Apple Car saga continues. After news that talks between Apple, Kia, and Hyundai were "temporarily suspended," there were reports that Nissan might take the lead. However, that apparently is not the case.

According to a report in the Financial Times, Nissan was approached by Apple about a possible partnership with Apple Car. Nissan has since denied everything.

Allegedly, the two companies clashed over how to develop the Apple Car and the nature of the partnership. The main obstacle was reportedly Apple's demand to put the Apple brand on cars made by Nissan.

According to the report, Nissan was concerned that the deal would relegate it to "hardware supplier" status. Hyundai apparently had similar concerns, fearing that Apple would take over production and the company would become little more than a means of manufacturing cars.

Clearly, many automakers have expressed concern that their partnership with Apple Car would turn them into the "Foxconn of the auto industry."

That is why Kia Motors, a subsidiary of Hyundai, is reportedly taking the lead in the Apple Car partnership. Hyundai could maintain its stake in Apple Car, albeit within reach, and Kia could reap all the other benefits such an alliance could offer.

Rumors of Hyundai's role in production led to instability in Hyundai's stock price. The stock price jumped 25% after the report and has remained volatile since Apple's reported withdrawal. It is therefore not surprising that Nissan issued a statement denying similar rumors and confirming that it is "not in negotiations" with Apple.

A Nissan spokesperson confirmed that the company is open to "exploring collaborations and partnerships to accelerate industry transformation."

COO Ashwani Gupta, however, told the Financial Times that such partnerships depend on partners adapting to Nissan's services, not the other way around. Apparently, Nissan has customers to worry about and has no intention of "changing" the way its cars are manufactured.

Apple has been incredibly secretive about the Apple Car and has yet to make an official announcement. What we do know is that it is said to be a fully autonomous vehicle with a "mono-cell" battery design that is said to improve both range and safety. The car is also designed as a privately owned vehicle, not part of a fleet of autonomous ride-sharing cars.

Unfortunately, there is no information on when this car will be available. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo estimates that the car will appear as early as 2024, but other estimates suggest that it will not appear until 2025 or even 2026.

The fact that Apple still does not have a manufacturing partner does not bode well for the possibility of an early launch. Still, because of the existence of an entire industry of automakers, there are plenty of places for Apple to try to manufacture cars.