Last week a few exciting Apple rumors circulated the internet. Chief among them was the Apple car (code-named Project Titan) discussion, sparked from a Guardian exposé documenting Apple’s securing of facilities to test self-driving cars.
Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that a self-driving/electric Apple car would be in production soon, and very possible that Apple is indeed working on a car-related project like a car software platform, or other technologies to sell to carmakers.
However, there are a few indications that Apple might be going full on into the car manufacturing business with Project Titan. The partnership between Apple and German auto manufacturer BMW seem completely legitimate and very serious. According to The Verge Apple CEO Tim Cook met recently with BMW and toured the i3 facility. Further, The Guardian reported that Cook met with the head of Fiat, and that Apple vice-president Jeff Williams said the car is “the ultimate mobile device” and also noted that Apple is “exploring a lot of different markets”. The Guardian and Bloomberg also reported on Apple’s acquisitions of Silicon Valley auto experts, engineers from Tesla and Mercedes, and power experts from battery maker A123 Systems. Bloomberg reported on Project Titan, suggesting that Apple car is unlikely to see production until 2020.
If Apple really intends to make a car, partnering with an experienced car manufacturer is a necessity. Car making is very much a “brick-and-mortar proposition” for the electronics giant, as Kelly Blue Book analyst Mark DeLorenzo told Bloomberg. Apple has poached the talent (reportedly offering 250k signing bonuses and 60 percent raises to Tesla employees), but making a car is a different proposition.
Despite the tech giant having the cash resources for paying talent and R&D, it isn’t a foregone conclusion that Apple will be a success at car making, if that is indeed what they’re up to. Just look at the Tesla crossover, the Model X. It first debuted in 2012 and is only going to be available to consumers this fall. With all massive projects things take time, and if the incredible rumors and reports about Apple’s Project Titan are true, we’ll wait a bit longer for our Apple branded electric and fully autonomous car.