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Apple Aiming to Begin Electric Car Production in 2020

Thursday February 19, 2015 2:56 pm PST by Juli Clover
Apple is hoping to begin production on the car project that it is secretly developing as early as 2020, reports Bloomberg. According to the site's sources, Apple is pushing employees working on the car to have it ready to go in five years, a timeline that will eventually allow it to compete with similar electric vehicles coming out from Tesla and GM in 2017.
The timeframe -- automakers typically spend five to seven years developing a car -- underscores the project's aggressive goals and could set the stage for a battle for customers with Tesla Motors Inc. and General Motors Co., both of which are targeting a 2017 release of an electric vehicle that can go more than 200 miles on a single charge and cost less than $40,000.
Apple's electric car plans first came to light last week, after The Wall Street Journal shared news of "Project Titan," an electric vehicle that hundreds of Apple employees are working on. Apple has been heavily recruiting automotive experts to join the project and plans to have a team of about 1,000 employees developing the car. Bloomberg says the team currently has about 200 members.

teslamodelx
Tesla Model X

Over the course of the last few months, the company has picked up employees from companies like Tesla, Ford, GM, A123 Systems, MIT Motorsports, Ogin, Autoliv, Concept Systems, and General Dynamics.

As with The Wall Street Journal's initial report, Bloomberg's report is quick to point out that that Apple could decide to delay or abandon its car project all together if the company is unhappy with its progress. Apple works on many prototype projects that never make it to production.

Little is known about Apple's electric car at this point, but rumors have suggested that it might resemble a minivan and that it may or may not be self-driving.

Related Roundup: Apple Car
Tag: bloomberg.com
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aceys
44 months ago
UGGGGG. I am NOT looking forward to 5 years of rumors with no product announcement. I'm already getting tired of them.
Rating: 63 Votes
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Cloudsurfer
44 months ago
Well at least you won't have to slap an apple sticker on the back of your car anymore...
Rating: 42 Votes
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Prof.
44 months ago
Why not just buy Tesla?
Rating: 38 Votes
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orioncrystalice
44 months ago
Who else is waiting for the S model?
Rating: 38 Votes
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CrazyForApple
44 months ago
I really hope not...
Rating: 33 Votes
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GuitarDTO
44 months ago
Well, that escalated quickly
Rating: 27 Votes
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Dekema2
44 months ago

I really hope not...


Every time I see these stories, I think of this video, no lie:


//www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw2nkoGLhrE

Apple wants to be a mega-conglomorate like Samsung: phones, fridges and ships. Except Apple will make cars instead of ships. The fridge is coming too, don't worry.
Rating: 24 Votes
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Jayy24
44 months ago
so this is really happening... if they don't sacrifice battery life (and headroom) for thinness, that'd be great.
Rating: 22 Votes
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mrtravel123
44 months ago
I have very mixed feelings about all of this.

The worst thing is that we'll have 5 years of torture via different media sources beating this topic to death 24/7. I'm already worn out thinking about it.
Rating: 18 Votes
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Mac-Mariachi
44 months ago
Hopefully soon

As a parent of a beautiful special needs girl I truly hope that some day soon my girl can get in her car and just tell it where she wants to go without the need to drive it by herself (she couldn´t). Mom and Dad won´t always be there to take her wherever she needs to go. :(

I´m sure some companies will eventually offer this self driven cars, and I would love Apple to be one of those companies.

Go for it Apple! Self Driven cars!

I can wait 5 years.
Rating: 18 Votes

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