Apple Car Development Speeds Up, 2019 Launch Date Targeted

[MacRumors]

Apple is speeding up development on its electric car project, reports The Wall Street Journal, giving it a "committed project" label and targeting 2019 as a prospective shipping date. To facilitate a faster launch, Apple will be greatly expanding the number of people working on the car.

The go-ahead came after the company spent more than a year investigating the feasibility of an Apple-branded car, including meetings with two groups of government officials in California. Leaders of the project, code-named Titan , have been given permission to triple the 600-person team, the people familiar with the matter said.

Apple has already been aggressively hiring for its car project, poaching employees from companies like Ford, General Motors, Tesla, Volkswagen, and more. Many of its recent hires have expertise in connected and autonomous vehicle systems.

The BMW i3, which Apple reportedly considered using as a base for the Apple Car​

​

Though there have been indications suggesting Apple is exploring autonomous vehicles as part of its car project, The Wall Street Journal's sources say the first car Apple releases will not be driverless, with that functionality perhaps coming at a later date.

There have been also other signs pointing towards expanded work on the car project. In May, Apple began looking into secure facilities in the Bay Area where a prototype could be tested, reportedly meeting up with officials at GoMentum Station, a secure test facility for connected and autonomous vehicles. Apple also met with DMV officials in August to discuss California's autonomous vehicle regulations.

It remains unclear if Apple will develop its "Apple Car" from the ground up or if it will team up with an existing auto manufacturer. Rumors have suggested Apple has held discussions with BMW over a potential partnership that would see the BMW i3 used as the basis for the Apple Car, but those talks have reportedly not progressed into a deal.

The Wall Street Journal warns that Apple's 2019 target date might not be the date in which Apple will actually ship the car, instead suggesting it could point towards the date that engineers confirm the main features of the product. It's also possible that given the scope of the project there could be delays, with "people familiar with the project" expressing skepticism that 2019 is a reasonable target date.

In an interview with Stephen Colbert last week, Tim Cook was asked about the car project, but he unsurprisingly avoided the question with a vague statement. "We look at a number of things along the way, and we decide to really put our energies on a few of those," he said.

Article Link: Apple Car Development Speeds Up, 2019 Launch Date Targeted

 

[JonneyGee]

If only it would be affordable...

 

[Jsameds]

Maps better be up to scratch by then!

 

[576316]

I LOVE THE i3! That would be such a great base model. As long as Apple don't make this car literally cost an arm and a leg...and your first born.

 

[muadibe]

If only it would be affordable...

Has to be cheaper than a Tesla.

 

[nozebleed]

when will they start factoring in coal plants as emissions, since they need to be charged? sorry for your feel good but electric cars have more of a "carbon footprint" than the gasoline engine. i guess we'll know when it isnt politically advantageous anymore...

 

[Rogifan]

Hmm...the Financial Times reported this last week:

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/965a2e38-5e3b-11e5-a28b-50226830d644.html

In June, Sir Jonathan was among some 20 high-level attendees from the automotive and technology industries at a meeting to discuss the future of the car, held at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England.

Also present at the meeting, convened by Lord March, owner of the Goodwood estate, were auto industry luminaries such as Daimler chief executive Dieter Zetsche and top management from General Motors, BMW and Aston Martin.

The three-hour meeting was held under Chatham House rules and Sir Jonathan revealed little of Apple’s plans. But the signal that Silicon Valley has the automotive sector in its targets was plain to see, one of the guests told the FT. “It was clear: the barbarians are at the gate.”

 

[gugy]

Sometimes I wonder if Apple is spreading themselves too thin getting into too many entire new industries and projects. The designer of me asks for more applications and computers development.

 

[fzfpff]

I like Apple products because they always try to make it more usable than before, but what can they add to a car?

 

[Crosscreek]

Pedal to the metal.

 

[AngerDanger]

If people thought the Watch was good inspiration for exercise, just wait for people to start slimming down to gain compatibility with their Apple Cars.

 

[MICHAELSD]

I predict $30,000 starting price. $40k max starting price.

Hopefully they do pre-orders .

 

[2457282]

Until I see CarPlay make more significant inroads into the market, I think the car won't be on track (sorry, just noticed and did not intend all the puns). I personally still believe that CarPlay is part of the strategy, so they need that to succeed as a first step. Of course they can still be working on the other steps in the meantime, but 2019 seems to close when we are almost in 2016 with no real penetration or success in the CarPlay space.

 

[xraydoc]

"I just received my Apple Car yesterday, and I've discovered a small scratch by the left rear wheel well. Do you think if I took it to the genius bar they would swap it out for me? They better give me a new one instead of a white box refurb though! No way will I accept anything else.

Oh, I wonder if I could get them to give me the white one instead of the black I originally bought."

 

[peterdevries]

If people thought the Watch was good inspiration for exercise, just wait for people to start slimming down to gain compatibility with their Apple Cars.

There should be a Badum Tisssss emoticon just for you....

 

[Serban]

plz Apple don't become Samsung that makes everything !

 

[MICHAELSD]

Maps better be up to scratch by then!

If the Apple Car used Apple's directions as they are now then it'd be making more than a few illegal turns.

Plus maybe a turn into a river.

 

[MICHAELSD]

plz Apple don't become Samsung that makes everything !

Because Samsung has a car...

Well, maybe in 2020.

 

[tevion5]

soooo.

Apple is speeding up development on its electric car project, reports The Wall Street Journal, giving it a "committed project" label and targeting 2019 as a prospective shipping date. To facilitate a faster launch, Apple will be greatly expanding the number of people working on the car.Apple has already been aggressively hiring for its car project, poaching employees from companies like Ford, General Motors, Tesla, Volkswagen, and more. Many of its recent hires have expertise in connected and autonomous vehicle systems.

The BMW i3, which Apple reportedly considered using as a base for the Apple Car​

Though there have been indications suggesting Apple is exploring autonomous vehicles as part of its car project, The Wall Street Journal's sources say the first car Apple releases will not be driverless, with that functionality perhaps coming at a later date.

There have been also other signs pointing towards expanded work on the car project. In May, Apple began looking into secure facilities in the Bay Area where a prototype could be tested, reportedly meeting up with officials at GoMentum Station, a secure test facility for connected and autonomous vehicles. Apple also met with DMV officials in August to discuss California's autonomous vehicle regulations.

It remains unclear if Apple will develop its "Apple Car" from the ground up or if it will team up with an existing auto manufacturer. Rumors have suggested Apple has held discussions with BMW over a potential partnership that would see the BMW i3 used as the basis for the Apple Car, but those talks have reportedly not progressed into a deal.

The Wall Street Journal warns that Apple's 2019 target date might not be the date in which Apple will actually ship the car, instead suggesting it could point towards the date that engineers confirm the main features of the product. It's also possible that given the scope of the project there could be delays, with "people familiar with the project" expressing skepticism that 2019 is a reasonable target date.

In an interview with Stephen Colbert last week, Tim Cook was asked about the car project, but he unsurprisingly avoided the question with a vague statement. "We look at a number of things along the way, and we decide to really put our energies on a few of those," he said.

Article Link: Apple Car Development Speeds Up, 2019 Launch Date Targeted

Sooooo...this is definitely happening then?

 

[Serban]

I predict $30,000 starting price. $40k max starting price.

Hopefully they do pre-orders .

if its more, here in EU from 24.000euro you start with a stock Audi A4...so if Apple will sell this above 40.000$-euro here than it will be very hard...But yet again fully electric cars here are sold like Vw Gold at 30.000e so i really think the price will be around that 30.000$

 

[MICHAELSD]

soooo.


Sooooo...this is definitely happening then?

Apple hasn't denied it and has even joked about it.

 

[Deadman64]

"I just received my Apple Car yesterday, and I've discovered a small scratch by the left rear wheel well. Do you think if I took it to the genius bar they would swap it out for me? They better give me a new one instead of a white box refurb though! No way will I accept anything else.

Oh, I wonder if I could get them to give me the white one instead of the black I originally bought."

Make sure you buy a full body film to protect the paint and get a case for your steering wheel!

 

[MICHAELSD]

By the way, I want an Apple Upgrade Program for the car.

 

[nepalisherpa]

Space Gray 5/4/2 seats - $39,999/$49,999/$59,999
Silver 5/4/2 seats - $39,999/$49,999/$59,999
Gold 5/4/2 seats - $39,999/$49,999/$59,999
Rose Gold 5/4/2 seats - $39,999/$49,999/$59,999
Rose Gold Special Edition - $99,999

You change gears by asking Siri. Siri, let's drive (D). Siri, let's reverse (R).

 

[c1phers]

Be careful of those VW employees. They might write software that incorrectly reports efficiency numbers