Apple Car should be made in the UK, says British Members of Parliament
Members of Parliament in the UK are urging the British government to approach Apple to bid to bring production of the iPhone maker’s rumored new self-driving electric vehicle to the country, in an effort to boost the economy post-Brexit and to tackle job losses caused by the pandemic.
The Telegraph this week shared comments made by Conservative MP James Sutherland, who told the newspaper that it was a “no brainer” for Britain to build the Apple Car and that the British government should make steps to bring manufacturing of the vehicle to the country by bidding for production contracts.
Conservative MP Nick Fletcher was also cited in the same report, saying production of the car in the UK would open the door for “engaging with new, innovative industries that help boost economic growth while helping the environment.”
Apple has reportedly been considering beginning production of its first self-driving electric car at Kia Motors’ plant in Georgia, US however, it is understood that talks between Hyundai and its subsidiary Kia have fallen through, with the UK seemingly seeing this as an opportunity to offer its services to Apple as it makes its first step into the automotive industry.
In the past, the British government approached Tesla to construct a gigafactory in the country, but ultimately lost out to Germany.
Reports have ramped up over the past couple of months over “Project Titan,” Apple’s codename for the top-secret project. The vehicle is said to feature a “next level” battery to achieve increased range and superior levels of charge. Over recent years, Apple has been hiring many executives and former engineers from rivals, including Tesla, to work on putting the Apple Car on the road, with it said that ex-Apple design chief Jony Ive was working on designs for Apple’s long-rumored self-driving automobile before leaving the company in 2019.