Apple Car Schematics Reportedly Presented to Japanese Auto Parts Maker in 2020

In January 2020, a man who identified himself as an Apple parts manager informed Japanese auto supplier Sanden that Apple wanted to make electric vehicles, and presented schematics of an electric vehicle and air conditioner parts, according to Nikkei Asia.

vanarama apple car concept

Apple Car concept by Vanarama based on patents filed by Apple

Sanden is a leading manufacturer of air conditioner parts for vehicles, and Apple and Sanden went on to discuss specific parts requirements, the report claims. However, due to financial struggles worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, Sanden filed for debt restructuring with its creditors in June 2020 and the Apple Car talks apparently faded.

While the report does not provide any further details about the talks between the two companies, it lends further credence to Apple's long-rumored electric vehicle ambitions.

In November 2021, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple was accelerating its work on the project and aiming for an electric vehicle with full self-driving capabilities. Gurman said Apple was targeting a 2025 launch, but the project has faced numerous setbacks and key departures over the years, so the timeframe is not certain.

Tag: Nikkei

Popular Stories

Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Wednesday November 19, 2025 4:00 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
ipad black friday 2025

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:20 am PST by
Black Friday is just over a week away, and iPad deals have finally started to flood in at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Below we're tracking discounts on every current generation iPad, including lowest-ever prices on M3 iPad Air and M5 iPad Pro, plus steep markdowns on iPad and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a ...
ipad mini 7 feature red and blue

iPad Mini 8: Four Major New Features to Expect

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:50 am PST by
Apple's eighth-generation iPad mini is highly likely to arrive next year, offering a significant refresh of the device with at least four major new features. OLED Display The next-generation version of the iPad mini could feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple Watch in 2015, ...
watchos 26 workout app

Apple Watch Users Claim Workout App Is Now Worse in Every Way

Thursday November 20, 2025 7:01 am PST by
Apple Watch owners have been voicing their frustration online over changes to the Workout app that Apple introduced in watchOS 26, with many finding the redesigned interface makes starting exercises difficult and exasperating. When Apple launched watchOS 26 in September, the Workout app went from large, easily tapped workout tiles to a scrolling, corner-button interface. Instead of tapping a ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Two More U.S. States Commit to Offering iPhone Driver's Licenses in Apple Wallet App

Thursday November 20, 2025 8:21 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Earlier this week, Illinois became the 13th state in the U.S. to offer the feature. Subsequently, we shared a list of additional states that are committed...
android iphone airdrop quickshare

iPhone Users Can Now AirDrop Files to Android Devices

Thursday November 20, 2025 9:47 am PST by
Google today announced a new cross-platform feature that allows for file sharing between iPhone and Android users. With AirDrop on the iPhone and QuickShare on Pixel 10 devices, there is a new file transfer function available. The file sharing option works on Apple devices that include iPhone, iPad, and Mac, along with the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Fold....

Top Rated Comments

steve333 Avatar
51 months ago
If it looks anything like that picture it will be a quick exit from the market
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
51 months ago

Yes, but they had Steve Jobs back then. Little Timmy is a genius bean counter, but he is no visionary.
Any time someone says “Timmy” and “bean counter” I know everything i need to know.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djcerla Avatar
51 months ago
It’s almost laughable to picture Apple as a car manufacturer, but to me at least the car market in 2022 looks a lot like the cellphone market in 2007.

A huge opportunity for the “computer guys”.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nwcs Avatar
51 months ago
I wonder what Apple would have to do to get me to consider them as a viable vehicle option? Of course it depends greatly upon what they ultimately reveal and price but even then I’d be very wary.

For all the hype Tesla still doesn’t strike me as reliable enough and ergonomic enough for my preferences. Getting closer but the enthusiasm for the Tesla seems to be outpacing the reality.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
51 months ago

It’s going to be forever till Apple car gets here. By then, Tesla would have taken the electric auto industry by a big margin. It’ll be very hard to catch up for Apple.

Meanwhile, Apple continues to lose more engineers.

https://www.macrumors.com/2021/12/08/apple-car-project-loses-3-engineers/

https://9to5mac.com/2021/12/08/bloomberg-apple-loses-even-more-engineers-from-its-car-project-team/
Apple continues to gain engineers, actually.

Did you also think Apple couldn’t make a dent in the phone industry? They came very late to that industry.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mannyvel Avatar
51 months ago

Like proving to the NHTSA that you have a car that doesn't need a driver at all times present in case something happens that is unexpected.
Tesla seems to have no problems in that regard.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)