Apple
has a secret lab working on the creation of an Apple-branded electric
car, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar
with the matter.
The
project has designed a vehicle that looks like a minivan, the newspaper
quoted one person as saying. It would take years to finish the project,
and it is not certain if Apple will eventually build a car, the Journal
said.
The
news signals that Apple is sharply raising its ambitions for automotive
technology, which has become a prime area of interest for Silicon
Valley companies ranging from Google to ride-sharing firm Uber to
electric car-maker Tesla Motors.
The
connected car, or vehicles with a full range of Internet and software
services beyond mere navigation and communications, is considered one of
the ripest areas for expansion for technology companies.
Last
March, Apple unveiled CarPlay, which lets drivers access contacts on
their iPhones, make calls or listen to voicemails without taking their
hands off the steering wheel.
Now,
the head of Mercedes-Benz’s Silicon Valley research and development
unit, Johann Jungwirth, has defected to Apple, according to a LinkedIn
profile, which said his title was head of Mac Systems Engineering.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment.
The Financial Times reported earlier that Apple had created the secret lab and that Jungwirth had joined the new research team.
Two sources told Reuters that Apple has recently tried to recruit from the automotive industry in fields such as robotics.
The
research lab was set up late last year, soon after Apple revealed its
forthcoming smart watch and latest iPhones, the Financial Times said.
The
Wall Street Journal said that the Apple project, code-named “Titan,”
employed several hundred people working a few miles from Apple’s
headquarters in Cupertino, California.
Apple
executives have met with contract manufacturers including Magna Steyr, a
unit of Magna International . A Magna spokeswoman declined to comment.
Google is working on plans for a self-driving car, but that is not part of Apple’s plan, the Journal said.
Trying
to design and build an actual car would mark a change for the iPhone
maker, which researches and discards plenty of projects but has so far
mainly stuck to its core expertise in mobile and electronic devices.
But it has been open about wanting to integrate its core iOS software into automobiles with CarPlay.
Along
with HomeKit and HealthKit, the idea is to extend Apple’s software
dominance into industries including home devices, healthcare, and
automobiles.
Posted by : Gizmeon
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