Barring astronomical changes in the consumer market and anything drastic, the Apple Electric car is bound to hit the market in less than a decade. We could even see it released in 2019, if all goes well on Apple’s end.
When Apple invests on a project, it does so heavily and with the goal of becoming a household name. The company strives for success and in delivering the best it can to its multitude of customers.
That being said, there are a number of interesting facts and developments over the course of the year. Let’s put each into thought and try to make sense out of everything.
It’s aptly named Project Titan
The Apple Electric car endeavor is given a fitting name: Project Titan. And yes, Apple is investing a titanic amount of resources and manpower behind the project, which is presumably why it was given the namesake. Take note that Apple is a neophyte in the automotive industry…wait, that’s wrong: the company hasn’t even entered the scene yet.
Given the risks, resources needed, and the manpower, the smartphone manufacturer could not have given the project a better name.
Apple hasn’t confirmed it yet
The funny thing about this is that Apple hasn’t officially announced it. When asked about a car project in an interview with Stephen Colbert a month ago, Apple CEO Tim Cook deflected the question with the cliche “we are looking into it”-type of response.
However, we don’t need confirmation from Cupertino: Project Titan is in full-swing, as evidenced by Apple looking for automobile testing grounds, hiring numerous automotive industry veterans, and Tim Cook’s hinting that they are working on it in the Wall Street Journal Digital Live Conference.
The cat is out of the bag, but we’re certain we won’t see an official press release any time soon.
Apple is talking to BMW
Apple is in talks with renowned automobile manufacturer German Bayerische Motoren Werke AG – or better known as BMW. Details are scant regarding this development, talks have stalled largely due to be BMW not wanting to become a supplier, have another rival in the market, and play second fiddle to Apple. However, Reuters reports that these talks might be revived at a later stage.
Apple is historically known to partner with other brands to create better products or to collaborate in a project to benefit each other. Examples include:
- Hermes, a French luxury leather apparel maker who created the leather present in Apple Watch Hermes.
- IBM. Recently, IBM started deploying MacBooks into its work force and are collaborating in developing better iOS apps.
- Verizon and AT & T – both mobile carriers sell and create mobile subscription plans for its consumers.
- Foxconn – this large Chinese firm is responsible for manufacturing Apple products.
Overall, it’s no surprise that Apple is talking to an industry leader. We might see a collaboration of epic proportions between the two later on.
This pits Apple against Tesla and Google
With Apple entering the fray, this means electric car manufacturer Tesla along with self-driving car maker Google will have their hands full once the Apple Electric car hits the market.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, fired a number of remarks directed at Apple even mentioning that the Cupertino-based company hired the people he fired. He also added that creating a car is more complex than smartphones, considering the many intricacies and the number of parts present in one. He also made it a point that he was “glad” Apple is joining the fray.
Meanwhile, there is no word if Project Titan involves creating Apple’s version of a self-driving car, but if this holds true, then Apple has a lot of catching up to do. The world’s largest search engine’s automated cars are already pretty advanced and are a common sight along roads in Mountain View.
Does Apple have the resources to create a car?
Definitely – it’s one of the largest and most profitable companies after all.
However, you have to remember that cars are totally new to Apple: this isn’t like when they introduced the iPod and iPhone. They are a software and computer company, not experts in the automobile industry – though they now have the manpower to claim that they are.
Sure, Apple has a pool of resources to spare, but would it benefit the company in the long run?
It’s too early to give a definite answer, but we already know that Apple has a huge and dedicated fan base who would buy whatever the engineers at Cupertino place on the shelves.
Will it be a hit?
It could, but at the same time, it may not be. Take the Apple Watch – it’s a great device, but even though Apple hasn’t disclosed any statistics, everything points to it not being a huge hit, even to people dedicated Apple fans. However, recent improvements into the watch and its operating system, watchOS 2 may lure in buyers.
