For years, there has been the constant rumour that Apple’s next big project is not going to be the release of a new generation iPhone but a car. Truly, the Apple founder, Steve Jobs, considered building one way back.
It was until 2015 that this rumour picked up again. Major publications started picking up the news, reporting details on Apple’s supposed plans to create an electric, and maybe eventually a self-driving car.
After a while, this discussion died out, but, gradually, they are building up again, especially since the launch of the Apple CarPlay features.
Is The Rumour True?
While there is no definite news from Apple about the release of its flagship car that’ll be launching its branch into automobiles, there is the certainty that Apple is working on some kind of car.
Codenamed Project Titan, the vehicle is likely an electric car, there’s no solid knowledge of whether it might go self-driving with this new project.
A 2021 interview with Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO since 2011 acknowledged the existence of the Apple Car project. What does that mean? It means that if the Apple CEO has mentioned this himself publicly, it means that there’s definitely a car project that Apple currently has under work. And, that’s huge news!
How Is The Plan Going?
There was a 2015 report that claimed that Apple was in negotiation with BMW to base the Apple Car on the BMW i3. That deal reportedly fell apart as Apple didn’t want to cede control over the software.
Invariably, the company might now be considering a different route. Another report sprung up in 2016 that Apple was in talks to acquire McLaren and put its considerable design prowess into building a car for a surely less-wealthy audience.
Since then, Apple has reportedly been in conversations with Volkswagen, Hyundai, Lucid Motors, and Canoo, as of 2022. But, it seems like any potential partnership with the tech giant and these automakers has fallen flat. For now, it seems Apple is without any auto-partner.
Is There Some Good News?
A report from the Korea Times in 2021 revealed that LG and Apple were in talks for EV components. There’s been no word on the collaboration either way yet. So, the assumption is that it isn’t official yet.
Still, Apple continues to hold a permit from the Californian DMV to test self-driving cars in the state.
Potential Features Of The Apple Car
The potential plans Apple has for the car were detailed by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in 2021. According to the report, Apple will be going full-time on a self-driving car that doesn’t need any driver interaction.
The plan is for the car to come without any steering wheel or pedals. It sounds ambitious but it has been done before by Gurman compared to the car company Cannoo’s driverless tech.
While ditching steering wheels and pedals seems cool and adventurous, American legislators might not give a go-ahead order on this. This is mostly because steering wheels are required in times of emergency.
Meanwhile, Apple’s showcase of the CarPlay update at WWDC in 2022 gives a close look yet at Apple’s infotainment system plans.
In this new version CarPlay that’ll take effect from 2023 cars, Apple’s designs spread over the screen in a car.
If the Apple Car ever comes out, it might take up a similar fashion but might be without the requirement of a connected iPhone.
Apple is also designing its own battery technology that’s set to improve performance by miles. Although it doesn’t predict how good the battery will be, there’s the possibility of seeing a battery with better range and charging.
For the charger, Apple Car will likely support the Standard Combined Charging System.
Conclusion
Beyond this information, there’s not much to know about the Apple Car that everyone anticipates. But, the takeaway is that Apple has got plans to build a car. We might be lucky if we saw it this decade.
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