Apple needs to get itself in gear to launch Apple Car by 2025, analyst says
Respected industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has claimed the team responsible for the development of Apple’s long-rumored self-driving electric vehicle, dubbed the Apple Car, has “been dissolved for some time,” and needs to be reorganized soon to meet the iPhone maker’s goal of mass production of the vehicle by 2025.
Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, Kuo said “reorganization within the next three to six months is necessary to achieve the goal” following years’ worth of rumors, reports and hirings by Apple that point to the company developing a Tesla-like vehicle, which it is understood Kevin Lynch, Apple’s VP of Technology is now involved in after “stepping back” from the health team within the company last year.
Apple’s new 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 self-driving automobile before leaving the company in 2019.
The Apple Car project team has been dissolved for some time. The reorganization within the next three to six months is necessary to achieve the goal of mass production by 2025.
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) March 15, 2022
It is understood that Apple is yet to finalize a manufacturing partner to produce the vehicle, with talks between Hyundai Motor and its subsidiary Kia Motors said to have fallen through after the firm confirmed it was in talks with Apple last year.