We had already heard rumors that Kia Motors would be the developer of the much-anticipated Apple Car, but now the possibility is even more likely.

According to Korean website DongA Ilbo, Apple has just invested $3.6 billion in Kia as part of a planned manufacturing partnership. The Apple car will be manufactured at Kia's manufacturing plant in Georgia, USA.

According to reports, the deal could be signed as early as February 17, with the goal of completing the first Apple Car by 2024. Once production begins, both Apple and Kia reportedly aim to build 100,000 cars per year.

Over the past few weeks, we have heard a lot of information about the Apple Car. Some rumors and reports suggest that Apple has been aiming for a 2024 release for some time. Nevertheless, one report claims that it will appear this year, which is incredibly unlikely.

It was also reported that Hyundai was a candidate to develop a car for Apple, but this was quickly changed to Kia, a subsidiary of Hyundai. Apparently, Hyundai had grand plans to grow its own brand and did not want to invest resources to help another rival. There was also concern that Apple would become too involved in the development process, making Hyundai little more than a manufacturer of other people's cars.

Despite this, Apple analyst Minqi Kuo insisted that Apple would still work properly with Hyundai and utilize its E-GMP battery electric vehicle platform for the first Apple Car chassis. In other words, Hyundai may want to distance itself from the production of the Apple Car, but it has no hesitation in licensing out its technology.

Kuo also noted that General Motors and European manufacturer PSA could also be involved at this level to significantly reduce development time and help bring the Apple Car to international markets. Kuo, however, predicts that the car will not be available until 2025 at the earliest.

While there is still much we don't know about the Apple Car, there are reports that it will be an autonomous, self-driving car that utilizes some sort of "monocell" battery pack. This would not only improve range, but also reportedly make the car safer than conventional electric car batteries.

Rumors suggest that the Apple Car will also be available as a privately owned car.

Would you buy an Apple Car? Let us know in the comments .