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

m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. 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 in 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....
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

Apple to Hide Selfie Camera Under Display of 20th Anniversary iPhone

Monday November 10, 2025 1:55 am PST by
Apple will conceal the front-facing camera under the screen of its 2027 iPhone, a Chinese leaker said today, corroborating reports that Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone will have no visible cutouts in the display. Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station said Apple's development of under-screen camera technology was progressing as planned for adoption in 2027, one year after it will...
iphone pocket%402x

Apple Debuts iPhone Pocket, a Limited Edition iPod Sock-Style Accessory

Tuesday November 11, 2025 1:23 am PST by
Apple has teamed up with Japanese fashion house ISSEY MIYAKE to launch iPhone Pocket, a 3D-knitted limited edition accessory designed to carry an iPhone, AirPods, and other everyday items. The accessory is like a stretchy pocket, not unlike an iPod Sock, but elongated to form a strap made of a ribbed, elastic textile that fully encloses an iPhone yet allows you to glimpse the display...
iphone air thinness

iPhone Air Sales Are So Bad That Apple's Delaying the Next-Generation Version

Monday November 10, 2025 11:41 am PST by
The thin, light iPhone Air sold so poorly that Apple has decided to delay the launch of the next-generation iPhone Air that was scheduled to come out alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, reports The Information. Apple initially planned to release a new iPhone Air in fall 2026, but now that's not going to happen. Since the iPhone Air launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales...
Early Black Friday Deals 1

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Deals on AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, and More

Saturday November 8, 2025 6:16 am PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
homepod mini colors

New HomePod Mini Coming Soon With These Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 7:30 am PST by
Apple is expected to announce a new HomePod mini imminently, headlining with new chips. Here are all of the new features we're expecting. The second-generation HomePod mini is highly likely to contain a more up-to-date chip for more advanced computational audio and improved responsiveness. The current HomePod mini is equipped with the Apple Watch Series 5's S5 chip from 2019. Apple is likely ...
Apple fitness plus feature

Future of Apple Fitness+ 'Under Review'

Sunday November 9, 2025 5:30 am PST by
The future of Apple Fitness+ is "under review" amid a reorganization of the service, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple Fitness+ remains one of the company's "weakest digital offerings." The service apparently suffers from high churn and little revenue. Nevertheless, Fitness+ has a small, loyal fanbase that...
iphone black friday gold

The Best Early Black Friday iPhone Deals

Monday November 10, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Black Friday 2025 sales have kicked off at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more. Right now we're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models during the holiday shopping season. Note: MacRumors is...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday November 6, 2025 11:12 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the U.S., according to its website. Maximum values for most devices either decreased or saw no change, but the iPad Air received a slight bump. ...

Top Rated Comments

steve333 Avatar
50 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
50 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
50 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
50 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
50 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
50 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)