Following rumors Apple plans to make its own car to compete with Tesla, former General Motors CEO Dan Akerson is weighing in on the matter. In an interview with Automotive News, Akerson said he doesn't think Apple has what it takes to make a car, mainly because of the manufacturing process.
The chatter about Apple Car went from 0 to 60 faster than Tesla's Model S P85D, and it is now pretty clear that there is more to it than just rumors. If the sightings of mysterious vans, and the outing of Project Titan, and its team of 1,000 employees didn't convince you, maybe the high-profile hires will give you something to think about.
Among the hires Apple recently made, one name keeps coming back: Johann Jungwirth, former President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Research & Development. Jungwirth worked on some incredible projects, among them is the Mercedes-Benz F 015, a concept car that might just give us a hint of what Apple could be looking into.
A rumor involving an Apple-branded electric vehicle that The Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal threw their weight behind just took an interesting turn with a Reuters report Saturday offering additional tidbits.
The news gathering organization learned from sources that Apple's electric vehicle is actually an autonomous self-driving car. Apple is reportedly actually “exploring how to make an entire vehicle” rather than just designing automotive software as previously suspected.
Apple has several hundred employees secretly working on creating an electric vehicle, reported the Wall Street Journal on Friday, citing people familiar with the company's plans. Code-named Titan, the project currently sports the design of a minivan.
According to the Journal, Apple CEO Tim Cook approved the project about a year ago, putting product design Vice President Steve Zadesky in charge. A former Ford engineer, Zadesky has been a long time Apple employee who helped create the iPod and later the iPhone.
Zadesky is said to have created a team strong of 1,000 people, which tends to prove that Apple is serious about the project, rather than considering this electric car a hobby.