Apple is Building an Electric Car, Codenamed 'Titan' [WSJ]

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Posted February 14, 2015 at 12:00am by iClarified

Apple has several hundred employees secretly building an electric car. The project is codenamed 'Titan' and the vehicle's initial design resembles a minivan, reports the WSJ.

The size of the project team and some of the people assigned to it indicate that the company is serious, these people said. Apple executives have flown to Austria to meet with contract manufacturers for high-end cars including the Magna Steyr unit of Canadian auto supplier Magna International Inc.

Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly approved the project nearly a year ago and assigned VP Steve Zadesky to lead the group. Zadesky is a former Ford engineer who helped lead the teams that built the iPod and iPhone. He was given the go ahead to create a 1,000 person team and poach employees from different parts of Apple.

The team is said to work at a private location a few miles from Apple's corporate headquarters in Cupertino. It's researching different types of robotics, metals, and materials consistent with manufacturing a vehicle, say sources.

While manufacturing a vehicle is typically very expensive, this would not be an issue for Apple who has nearly $180 billion in cash. A single manufacturing plant is said to cost over $1 billion and requires a massive supply chain to produce over 10,000 components.

The WSJ's report corroborates another recent report from the Financial Times that revealed Apple has been hiring experts in vehicle design and automotive technology to work in a secret research lab.

According to a source, Apple is not working on a self-driving car to compete with Google; rather, it's looking to build an electric car that will rival Tesla and other car manufacturers.

“There are products that we’re working on that no one knows about,” Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook told Charlie Rose in September. “That haven’t been rumored about yet.”

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Apple is Building an Electric Car, Codenamed 'Titan' [WSJ]

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Anthony - February 16, 2015 at 6:01am

This Is Epic. #AppleNation

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TPC - February 15, 2015 at 4:38pm

That's our "Titanic" Copy of Google car :)

gamerscul9870 - February 15, 2015 at 6:48pm

More like Titan that proves more new and ideal and powerful than google's car like past products xD

Ren - February 14, 2015 at 4:38pm

apple keep copying then they sue tesla and other electric car manufacturer

Ren - February 14, 2015 at 4:39pm

they even copy ios from creative clock from rail station stole Apple name from Beatles!

gamerscul9870 - February 14, 2015 at 10:07pm

Lol just kidding Apple always original even when getting the info from carmakers on what makes a car. They may as well be Billy Mays. Made great stuff like him.

Samsuck - February 14, 2015 at 4:10pm

I bet Samsung will soon have a electric car soon!!!

AHMJ - February 14, 2015 at 4:00pm

I am counting on Apple to make this car affordable. I want to buy an electric car. But I will wait for the apple car. Have they registered a trade name or a patent yet?

? - February 14, 2015 at 10:43pm

They won't

zed cryuse - February 14, 2015 at 9:49am

I think it is great that Apple is building an electric car, but Tesla was the last person to understand electricity. He had patents for AC DC and a third type which is I call pulse. Pulse is often thought of as micro wave and micro waves can transmit energy but the "pulse" can be transmitted more like conventional ac/dc. IF apple is serious it should look at the old Tesla sketches and find someone without a degree in electrics who may have a chance at understanding them. The problem with poaching is that the innovations do not come from old guys but people under 25 A car like a phone has one important function and the technology is very old get from a to b using less energy. Build and electric car with out a battery

What? - February 14, 2015 at 8:09am

Is it going to have this nice feauture "swolen battery"??? And when it happense it won't be cover from the warranty even so thecar chasi is damagedbeyond repair and apple says "ohh we NEVER heard about it!!!"

gamerscul9870 - February 14, 2015 at 10:11pm

When did batteries inflate when it comes to swelling, but damaged beyond repair? The next iphone is said to feature sapphire, hence even a single drop of current iphone won't make it critical damaged. I beg you'll mention "ooh I never figured that you can protect products from damages like life proof can".

14DaMan - February 14, 2015 at 6:14am

Would Apple build a car with Windows, or would it be drive by camera and retina displays?

iProService - February 14, 2015 at 5:40am

Wasn't one of Steve Jobs goals to build an electric car had he continued to live?

ilovecydia - February 14, 2015 at 4:11am

can i install cydia on it ?

Daniel bailey - February 14, 2015 at 1:44am

I do believe the first car that will be bought to market will in-fact be call the Apple Kart

justabrake - February 14, 2015 at 1:21am

Isn't hydrogen the next big thing not electric !

Dommm - February 14, 2015 at 8:35am

One problem with hydrogen it explodes very easily so electric is safer, all they need to invent is a battery you can charge in minutes or seconds and holds its charge well

gamerscul9870 - February 14, 2015 at 12:28am

If it is said to be a hover car then the back to the future 2 predictions are straightforward right. All of them. Hendo hover boards, self tying shoe laces. Hover car is what's missing.

SimonSays - February 14, 2015 at 3:51am

Magine having 2 spoke and taipe propr English.

gamerscul9870 - February 14, 2015 at 10:09pm

Look who's talking, blaming claiming Jules. Apple knows what it has to take a car even if it means having parts. No phone was as well made like iphone so I wouldn't give my hopes up like that instantly. Myth spew all you want.