Apple now looking to tackle car manufacture by itself

Apple Car moves back to internal development at Apple

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A report suggests that Apple has restarted its internal Apple Car development after it failed to partner with third parties for parts manufacture and assembly.

Sources familiar with the matter say that Apple has begun contacting global auto parts manufacturers for part quotes. This is a sign that Apple will select the final parts supplier soon.

The report from Maeil Economic Daily acts as a summary of Apple's car plans so far, but indicates a renewed commitment to internal development. One source says Apple has revived its vehicle development lab that closed in 2016, one that previously housed over 1,000 Project Titan employees.

The refocused effort comes after months of failed negotiations with companies like Hyundai, Nissan, and BMW. Apple had seemingly hoped to outsource the actual production of its Apple Car to an established manufacturer but encountered headwinds due to existing competition in the industry.

Project Titan, the internal name for Apple's autonomous vehicle project, started in earnest in 2014. It began as a vehicle Apple wanted to develop on its own, but by 2016, it appeared Apple had given up on that pursuit entirely.

Apple has reportedly been in contact with various companies since, attempting to find a Foxconn-like partner for its Apple Car project. No major brand wanted to conform itself to Apple's standards, so negotiations have ended.

The electric vehicle industry is fast accelerating, and Apple wants to put its stamp on the market soon. Maeil Economic Daily says the market condition is similar to when Apple entered the smartphone market with iPhone, and it is ripe for disruption.

Apple Car is expected to launch sometime between 2024 and 2027. If Apple can release the vehicle by 2025, it is expected to sell around 1.5 million units by 2030.

💬 38 Comments

scott6666

said about 1 year ago

If these people can’t make a TV how on earth are they gonna make a car?

DAalseth

said about 1 year ago

This is going to dribble along for another decade until it finally fades away producing nothing. It’s become someone’s vanity project.

elijahg

said about 1 year ago

DAalseth said:

This is going to dribble along for another decade until it finally fades away producing nothing. It’s become someone’s vanity project.

IMO it’s Cook’s primary legacy, with AppleTV+ as a backup. I don’t believe Apple can set up a manufacturing facility for cars when they have little actual manufacturing experience themselves. They got out of that game in the early 90’s. It took Tesla 10 years to get manufacturing right, and even then it’s not to Apple standards.

haikus

said about 1 year ago

Do we really need an Apple car? I dislike cars so I may be biased ;-) I understand that for many people cars have a much prominent importance. Nevertheless, I would love Apple to innovate instead of (allegedly) improving something that already exists.

larryjw

said about 1 year ago

scott6666 said:

If these people can’t make a TV how on earth are they gonna make a car?

Of course, Apple can make a TV. So can thousands of others.

"Can" is never the issue; it's does it make sense, can a company bring something to the market that others have not been able to?

Tesla has mind-share. I'm not so sure Tesla is here for the long term; they don't have much of a track record. They exist by virtue of some unexplainable deification of Elon Musk -- the cult of personality.

What nobody outside of Apple has is any idea about Apple's plans, if any.