Apple Is Building A Self-Driving EV

I have speculated in the past that Apple would eventually get into EV (Electric Vehicles) and manufacture their own self-driving car. Then it seems that the news has been somewhat confirmed. Reports are coming out that Apple will also design their own battery for the car under the codename “Project Titan”. There is no expected date of delivery, though it could be just a few years away. Perhaps there were hints at what Apple was up to when it hired former engineers from Tesla.

An Apple Car. I am thinking an iPhone on wheels. Maybe a Macbook Pro, with Siri navigator and iPhone on wheels. It would be cool if the keys to the car were an app on your iPhone. This is going to be interesting. Imagine a few months or years from now, and Tim Cook standing on a podium making an announcement during a WWDC event:

“It’s here everyone. The APPLE CAR.”

There have already been artistic renderings of how the car might look like. The Apple fanboys are definitely going crazy with it, but until we actually see how it looks like don’t expect it to look like what you are seeing right now all over the net. It could look similar, but then again Apple are always secretive and full of surprises.

With Jony Ive gone, Apple will use a new design team. Even if Jony Ive were still with Apple, he probably won’t be the only designer Tim Cook would have. Apple may even hire a special team just for this project. We know Apple are full of creative designers who come up with brilliant industrial designs. What they will come up with in the Apple Car is certainly something to look forward to. Can they introduce new design principles that bridge art with technology like they did with the iPhone, Macbook Pro and iPad?

Apple is no car company. They are most likely going about this from the First Principle framework, much like what Elon Musk did with SpaceX. For Apple it starts with learning how to build a car, and then manufacturing it at scale. Apple may even partner with an established auto manufacturer to get things going. They won’t worry about engine design if the car is an EV. Since they are new at this, they would also have to build new supply chains for parts and hire the labor to assemble the car.

There will be no deep dive into the Apple Car because it does not exist. There are no official details other than speculation for the most part. The car may or may not be autonomous, but more like your typical SAE Level 2 car. This will surely give Tesla some competition, but at the moment nothing to sweat about. Apple is usually good at taking existing ideas and reimagining it to their own perspective. They may even redefine the future of what a car means to us today.