A couple-odd weeks ago, we heard that Apple has once again directed its efforts to the development of a self-driving vehicle. Project Titan, as you may know, was shuttered a long time but is being revived with the goal of a consumer vehicle launch around 2024. Well, it seems like the report was indeed true as renowned carmaker Hyundai has now confirmed that it is in talks with Apple.
This confirmation comes after a Korea Economic Daily report. It reported that Apple has proposed Hyundai a deal to not only build the batteries but also its upcoming car. In response, a Hyundai spokesperson said, “We understand that Apple is in discussion with a variety of global automakers, including Hyundai Motor. As the discussion is at its early stage, nothing has been decided.”
There’s currently no word on whether it will be an electric vehicle or not. The company did not dole out any additional details. You can, however, top this off with a Bloomberg report that reveals that Apple has gathered a small team to work on this project. It mostly comprises of ex-Tesla hardware engineers.
This small team is developing a driving system, interiors, and the exterior design. The core focus, however, will be self-driving technology. The Cupertino giant aims to build cars that can drive themselves – that’s the end goal of this project. Apple aims to rival Tesla but the company’s plan might not come to fruition anytime soon.
I believe we all can agree to the fact that building a car is not an easy feat. And well, we know that Apple does not manufacture vehicles. It direly wants to and even tried back in 2014. But, a better approach would be to build a self-driving system and test it with an OEM partner, such as Hyundai. Apple already has a CarPlay partnership with the company. Then, it can make a custom Apple-designed edition (with plush interiors and self-driving tech) of Hyundai’s latest flagship available for sale.
