A former Chrysler proving grounds for automotive testing outside of Phoenix, Arizona, that has been rumored to be used by Apple was recently purchased for $125 million by the firm that has been leasing it for the past five years, according to AZ Big Media.
Back in 2017, it was reported that a company by the name of Route 14 Investment Partners LLC had signed a lease to use the facility, with rumors suggesting Apple was behind the deal, although there was no definitive proof of the link. Route 14 is represented by the Phoenix office of law firm Greenberg Traurig, hiding the true ownership of the company.
Route 14 has now exercised an option to purchase the property, which consists of 34 separate parcels, for $125 million in cash. The purchase agreement is dated June 25, 2021, with a deed and assumption of an existing development agreement with the City of Surprise both dated July 30 and seen by MacRumors.
We have still not been able to concretely tie Apple to Route 14, but it's clear that whoever is behind the firm has deep pockets and a long-term interest in the testing facility.
Rumors about Apple's work on both autonomous driving systems and actual electric vehicles have ebbed and flowed over the last several years. The most recent report just this week claimed that Apple has been visiting with Toyota as it seeks to develop a supplier network with an eye toward producing an Apple-branded car starting in 2024.
I don't know if this confirms anything but a friend who lives nearby says that around July they saw workers making the asphalt thinner, removing all markings from the roadways, and chamfering the edges on all the buildings. Weird.
Apple has been wasting time on this car project. It is too many years behind Google and Baidu. By the time Apple comes up with something usable, the market would have been fully taken up. When Apple is not the creator of a market, it never made meaningful splash. In another word, Apple is never good at competing in a field others created.
Phones, tablets, watches, bluetooth headsets. Apple didn't invent the cell phone, table or bluetooth headset, yet they made quite a splash in those areas over the years.
Apple has been wasting time on this car project. It is too many years behind Google and Baidu. By the time Apple comes up with something usable, the market would have been fully taken up. When Apple is not the creator of a market, it never made meaningful splash. In another word, Apple is never good at competing in a field others created.
According to you, the autonomous car market is all wrapped up but I'm still trying to summon a single self driving car to come pick me up. What am I doing wrong here?
Apple has been wasting time on this car project. It is too many years behind Google and Baidu. By the time Apple comes up with something usable, the market would have been fully taken up. When Apple is not the creator of a market, it never made meaningful splash. In another word, Apple is never good at competing in a field others created.
Apple has been wasting time on this car project. It is too many years behind Google and Baidu. By the time Apple comes up with something usable, the market would have been fully taken up. When Apple is not the creator of a market, it never made meaningful splash. In another word, Apple is never good at competing in a field others created.
Apple almost always comes into a market already established. But it brings in something better. Music, phones, tablets, personal computers, services, etc etc etc. the list is literally endless.
Apple is developing its electric vehicle independently without the assistance of another automaker and is currently selecting final parts suppliers, according to sources said to be familiar with Apple's plans speaking to Korea's Maeil Economic Daily.
In line with a previous report from Reuters, the report explains that the company has had its own automobile hardware research and development...
Thursday September 2, 2021 4:33 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple is rumored to be in Asia visiting Toyota as it prepares to lay the supplier groundwork to mass produce a branded car by 2024, according to a new report by DigiTimes.
Apple representatives were said to have met with South Korea's SK Group and LG Electronics last month to discuss Apple Car development, and now Japan's Toyota is being touted as its next potential destination. Apple...
Wednesday September 1, 2021 12:37 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Two of Apple's self-driving cars operating in manual mode were involved in minor collisions in August, according to the California DMV.
The first incident [PDF] occurred in San Diego, California in the Hillcrest area on August 19. The Lexus RX 450h was stopped in traffic and was hit by a Hyundai. The accident was described as minor with no injuries.
The second accident [PDF] occurred on...
Tuesday September 21, 2021 2:45 pm PDT by Eric Slivka
Last year, Apple debuted support for digital car keys, which let users lock, unlock, and start their vehicles using a pass stored in the Wallet app on the iPhone. And with iOS 15, there's now Ultra Wideband support on the iPhone 11 and later that will let the feature work without having to remove your iPhone from your pocket.
Car manufacturers need to add the NFC technology to their vehicles ...
Thursday September 9, 2021 12:28 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple VP of technology Kevin Lynch is taking over the Apple Car project and will be replacing Doug Field, who is moving to Ford, reports Bloomberg.
Lynch first joined the Apple Car team in July, with reports suggesting he had been called on to help lead Apple Car development. Now that Field has left the company, Lynch will be taking over his role and will be in charge of the Apple Car. Lynch ...
Thursday August 19, 2021 2:23 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple supplier Foxconn is making a major push into electric vehicle manufacturing and has long been aiming to get into the vehicle market, according to a new profile of Foxconn's car ambitions that was shared by Nikkei.
"If we can make iPhones, why can't we make EVs?" Foxconn founder and former chairman Terry Gou said in an internal meeting. "It is an iPhone with four wheels."
Foxconn has ...
Apple on Thursday evening announced it has reached a $100 million settlement that, pending court approval, will resolve a class action lawsuit from U.S. developers who alleged that Apple has a monopoly on the distribution of iOS apps and in-app purchases.
As part of the settlement, some U.S. developers would be entitled to receive a payment from Apple, so long as they meet certain...
Apple's fleet of self-driving vehicles roaming the streets of California for testing now includes 69 vehicles and 92 drivers, according to information from the California Department of Motor Vehicles obtained by macReports.
This means that Apple has added one self-driving car and 16 drivers since May this year. Apple has been expanding its autonomous vehicle test since it was granted a permit...
Friday September 3, 2021 9:25 am PDT by Sami Fathi
Apple has hired two former Mercedes engineers to join the company, likely as part of its effort to continue to build out its internal workforce as the development of an "Apple Car" continues.
The leading new hire previously worked at Mercedes, focusing on mass production of vehicles, vehicle steering, dynamics, and software and project management. The hire, now working as a product design...
Saturday August 28, 2021 11:00 am PDT by Sami Fathi
We're just weeks away from when Apple will announce the iPhone 13, which we're expecting to feature some considerable upgrades, including design, performance, cameras, and more. Like every year, rumors, leaks, and reports about what Apple has in store are abundant, with some more credible than others.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Rumors about the next iPhone...
For the first time, Apple is allowing users to continue using iOS 14, even after the launch of iOS 15. So should you update to iOS 15 or stick with iOS 14?
Updates for Safari, FaceTime, and many other apps, Universal Control to let a single mouse or trackpad control multiple devices, new Shortcuts app, machine-learning Live Text detection and Visual Lookup, and more.
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