Apple Electric Car Project
We’ve heard a bunch of garbage about the so-called Apple electric car. Now, for many years, people have said all this different stuff. They’ve said that apparently, Apple is going to work with Tesla.
Apparently, Apple is going to buy Tesla eventually, they decided not to. Then they decided to collaborate with Tesla. Then they decided not to.
Myth vs Reality of Apple’s Electric Car Pursuit
Now, all of this stuff is pretty much irrelevant. Here’s what Apple actually did. They lost a billion dollars every single year. Apple Electric Car Project
They invested a billion dollars all to manufacture a car that would have been using all these parts, which are hilarious.
The long and short of this story, it’s absolutely fascinating.
Now, the Apple car, was it even an Apple car at all? We’ve actually just found out from former Apple employees or from leaked Apple employees that this so-called Apple car was actually a Volkswagen bus using Tesla batteries and an Xbox controller.
Basically, a Volkswagen were going to make the car, Tesla were going to supply the batteries, and Xbox was going to supply the controllers for you to drive it with.
Apple’s Billion-Dollar Pursuit
Now, a report came out within the last 24 hours telling us the general, the usual story. What about news? Spares that Apple spent a billion dollars a year.
And over the years, Apple talked with Mercedes-Benz, Ford, BMW, Volkswagen, Hyundai, and Tesla about potential partnerships. Apple have discussed those partnerships, even with Ford. Apple Electric Car Project
I mean, Canoo, McLaren. Mclaren? Seriously? I mean, They all discussed, Why would you… Mclaren doesn’t even make an EV.
They sure they have a hybrid now. Co founder Steve Jobs proposed buying General Motors in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, said Bloomberg.
Project Titan, as Apple called it, cost the technology company a billion dollars every single year. But it never reached a point where any full-scale prototypes were even tested on public roads. Apple Electric Car Project
The company began hiring hundreds and hundreds of automotive engineers nearly 10 years ago and originally aimed to start selling its first EVs in 2020.
The report says that by early 2020, the team’s creation, a rounded four-seat microbus, dubbed the bread loaf, was still five years from being ready for production.
Among other revelations was that Apple considered trying to buy Tesla when it was still worth less than $30 billion, but CEO Tim Cook killed the idea.
Apple’s Quest for Collaboration
Tesla is going to supply the battery packs and the electronics and software. Volkswagen, we’re going to build the actual shell part.
Apple talked with Mercedes-Benz for a few months about an idea to have Mercedes build the car and to put Apple’s self-driving platform into Mercedes vehicles. But it ultimately decided it wanted to build the car on its own.
Apparently, Apple also talked to BYD about getting them to maybe manufacture it. It also talked with BMW, Volkswagen, and Canoo, but that didn’t work out. Apple came close to reaching and deal with McLaren. Apple Electric Car Project
I mean, McLaren, they boutique luxury supercar manufacturer. Ford, which hired Project Titan chief Doug Field, away from Apple in 2021, proposed selling Apple cars through its Lincoln brand.
Economics Behind the Dream: Pricing and Production
But the discussions ended after a preliminary meeting. Why on earth would Ford have hired the Muppet in charge of this project, of this disaster.
Apple had wanted to charge US$85,000 for the car, but internal estimates put the cost of production at over 120,000 for every vehicle.
Apple Bought the former Chrysler Proving Ground in Arizona in 2021, but it’s now put the property up for sale. Apple Electric Car Project