The Apple Car Is Being Developed In Germany, Report Says
Apple could be introducing the Apple Car in a secret Berlin lab, as per a report from Frankfurter Allgemeine.
The German publication said on Monday that it had “learned from informed sources that Apple is running a secret laboratory for the development of an automobile — and this in the middle of Berlin.” The laboratory is reportedly home to 15-20 staff with backgrounds in engineering, software, hardware, and sales.
Many premium auto brands are produced in this part of the world and some of them include Mercedes, Porsche, Audi or BMW. Sixty-eight Research, a firm that may have been set up by Apple to handle the car's development, recently attended a conference that Magna also attended, 9to5 Mac reported. But if today's report is correct, then Apple may be progressing faster than anyone expected with this project, and the launch might take place as soon as the next year. The report said that the Apple Car could get such functionalities later on.
Apple could also be looking at constructing the vehicle — generally mentioned to as either the Apple Car or the iCar — in Vienna, Austria, according to Frankfurter Allgemeine. So as to build the car in Vienna, Apple will reportedly team up with vehicle engineering and contract manufacturing firm Magna.
Apple has never disclosed that it is working on an electric car however the company has enlisted lots of automotive experts from companies like Mercedes-Benz and Ford, according to The Financial Times.
Actually, the first Apple Car, which should be released by 2020, will be a completely electric vehicle but it will lack self-driving capabilities although some kind of autopilot feature will even now integrated into the vehicle.
The Apple Car, which may or may not is self-driving, is being established under the code name “Titan,” according to The Wall Street Journal. There may be hundreds of employees were already working on the Apple vehicle, together with former Ford engineer Steve Zadesky, who helped build the iPhone. There’s also Johann Jungwirth, who was Mercedes Benz’s R&D chief before being hired by Apple in September 2014.
According to a report from The Wall Street Journal in September 2015, Apple is planning to start shipping the Apple car in 2019.
Silicon Valley heavyweights like Uber and Google are doing their own research into autonomous cars, as are many of the traditional car manufacturers, including Daimler, BMW, and Volkswagen.
Source: Telegraph