Hyundai walks back confirmation it’s in talks over Apple car

Hyundai Motor plant in South Korea

SEOUL: Hyundai Motor Co. backed away from a statement confirming it is in talks with Apple Inc. on developing self-driving car that fueled an $8 billion surge in the Korean automaker’s market value Friday, saying instead that it received requests for potential cooperation from a number of companies.

Revising its statement for the second time in a matter of hours, Hyundai said it had been contacted by potential partners for the development of autonomous electric vehicles, removing any reference to Apple. Shares of Hyundai surged 19%, only slightly paring their gains after the statement confirming discussions was revised.