Let the Apple Car rumors roll on. As noted by MacRumors, Korea’s Maeil Economic Daily says Apple plans to develop its vehicle independently and not rely on other car companies.
Reasons to doubt the rumor
The Sellers Research Group (that’s me) is skeptical of this. That’s an awfully big undertaking for even a company as big as Apple. And the company has had set-backs in its plans. This week it was announced that Doug Field, the head of the Apple Car project, has departed to go to work at Ford.
The tech giant has purportedly met with companies such as Toyota and Hyundia/Kia about partnering on such a project. I think they’ll still try to partner with an established auto maker.
When might we see an Apple Car?
The status of an Apple auto is unclear. On June 2, Bloomberg reported that Apple has lost “several” top managers from its “Apple Car” project. Here’s what the report says: Apple Inc. has lost multiple top managers of its self-driving car team in recent months, a sign of attrition at the division involved in what could become an important future product.
If an Apple Car ever arrives, it probably won’t arrive until 2024 at the earliest. In fact, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo doesn’t expect it until at least 2025.The accompanying graphic illustrates a vehicle comprising a transparent surface which provides an augmented reality display that modifies occupant-perceived information presented by a sign located in the external environment.
