Apple Car: The so-called “Project Titan” is about to enter its production line phase.
We see more and more rumors circulating about the Apple Car, the autonomous electric vehicle resulting from the signature of the bitten apple logo. As its estimated release date draws near – between 2024 and 2025 – we see how different media detail various aspects of the apple car.
We recently learned all kinds of information about the vehicle thanks to a leak that indicated that Apple Car would have 4 seats and a curved roof. Very interesting information, by the way, specifying that the seats will be oriented towards each other, facing the interior of the vehicle in order to promote socialization between passengers. The roof, meanwhile, would be similar to the roof of a Volkswagen Beetle model.
Additionally, we also know that Apple’s self-driving car could have built-in augmented reality and virtual reality technology and its roof could have a solar charging panel. What we don’t know yet is which brand will be in charge of manufacturing the Apple Car. Rumors suggest that the production process would start in 2024 and finally begin marketing in 2025. Apple, therefore, has little time to decide which company will be the right one to manufacture its electric vehicle.
The Main Manufacturers that Could Build the Apple Car
The “Titan Project”, a code name according to Apple called the development of its vehicle, began to take shape in 2015. Although Steve Jobs himself occasionally mentioned the idea of creating a self-driving car, as Mickey Drexler, an Apple employee at the time, reported at a Fast Company conference.
But for better or for worse, Apple has no experience in manufacturing vehicles. Although the company with the bitten apple logo has hired a large number of employees who have worked in prestigious car manufacturers, it is very unlikely that they will venture to build the Apple Car on their own assembly line. Apple designs it, someone else makes it.
From now on, who will manufacture the autonomous electric vehicle of the firm with the bitten apple? Well, according to reports from Slashgear, Apple has teamed up with different vehicle manufacturing brands to establish a line of work for Project Titan. Among them, we find the possible candidates to build the Apple car.
Volkswagen
Did you know that Apple had reached an agreement with Volkswagen to integrate the iPhone into a Beetle? The German automaker marketed a vehicle called “iBeetle” and it came with a special docking station for iPhone.
Additionally, drivers had the option of downloading a Volkswagen app designed for the iPhone with which they could access exclusive features such as engine diagnostics, fuel economy, navigation, and hands-free calling.
This was before the Apple company launched its popular CarPlay platform in the market in 2014. Given the good relationship between the two companies, it is not unreasonable to think that Volkswagen could be the car manufacturer or one of the car manufacturers in charge of manufacturing the Apple Car.
The history of the two companies is a beautiful story of encounters, agreements, and rescues. When Apple failed in its deal with Mercedes-Benz and BMW, it was Volkswagen that came to the rescue by integrating autonomous vehicle software into its Transporter T6 model for testing.
Foxconn
Foxconn is one of the companies that the longest he’s been with Apple on the assembly line products such as the iPhone and iPad. By working in such a close, probably almost familiar way, Foxconn could be one of the candidates to work on the development of the Apple Car in the automotive industry.
And it wouldn’t be the first time that Foxconn has participated in such a project, in 2021 the firm reached an agreement with Fisker for the assembly of its electric vehicles in the United States from 2023. In addition, they have also associated with Stellantis, a manufacturing brand of components for electric vehicles. Will the same thing happen with Apple?
Hyundai-Kia
We have to go back to January 2021 to see the first rumors linking Apple to Hyundai, according to The Korea Economic Daily. The bitten apple logo company was working on a deal with Hyundai to jointly develop an autonomous electric vehicle.
But the rumors weren’t just limited to the deal, but also indicated that the manufacturing of the Apple Car would take place in a few Kia plants located in West Point, Georgia in the USA.
Interestingly, weeks later Hyundai announced that the deal with Apple had not materialized. The South Korean automaker declined Apple’s proposal because it created a major rift among its board members. However, some media are insinuating that these public statements are false and that Hyundai is working on the Apple Car in secret.
Manzana
In the event that the firm with the bitten apple logo does not partner with any company in the automotive industry, the leaders of Project Titan would have no choice but to manufacture the Apple Car with their own hands.
In the end Apple has designed, patented, developed, and tested its autonomous vehicles in its own facilities. In fact, they even spent a huge amount of money ($125 million) on a test track in Arizona for their Apple Car prototypes.
As we mentioned earlier, Apple’s senior executives have no experience in manufacturing vehicles. But they have hired a large number of employees who have worked in major companies in the sector such as Tesla, Porche, Ford, Mercedes, and many others.
Additionally, they also purchased a start of autonomous vehicles called Drive.ai. Everything seems to indicate that Apple will need a car manufacturer to manufacture its electric car, but what if they were able to build it themselves?
