It seems Apple is serious about having their own car. Apparently, the consumer electronics giant is targeting to start producing a passenger vehicle with its own unique battery technology in three years' time.
According to a report by Reuters, sources close to the matter said the company plans to start production of the Apple Car in 2024. It will reportedly make use of a new battery design that will reduce the cost of batteries as well as increase the vehicle’s range.
Using a "mono cell" design, Apple says that it will bulk up the individual cells in the battery, while also freeing up space to hold more active material. This could potentially give the car additional range. Apple is even considering using a new chemical for its battery called lithium iron phosphate (LRP). Unlike lithium-ion batteries, LRP is apparently less likely to overheat during continued use.
But how will Apple exactly make the car since they don’t have an automotive factory, to begin with? Supposedly, the company will rely on a manufacturing partner that can build the Apple Car. But since the pandemic is not yet over, people close to the matter say that production could eventually be pushed to 2025 or later.
As to how many cars Apple plans to produce initially, that remains to be seen. In the past, Apple was in talks with Magna International Inc. about manufacturing their car. Magna produces quite a few automobiles under Magna Steyr which includes the Mercedes G-Class, BMW 5 Series, Jaguar E-Pace, Jaguar I-Pace, BMW Z4 and Toyota Supra. When Apple’s plan became unclear during its early stages, talks between the two companies waned.
“In order to have a viable assembly plant, you need 100,000 vehicles annually, with more volume to come,” said one of the persons close to the matter.
With Apple seemingly confident that they can enter the automotive market with a self-driving EV, having a target year of production could mean they are making progress with ‘Project Titan’. But until Apple finds a manufacturing partner that can actually build the car, they might have to focus their efforts on making a working prototype first.
We just hope it will come with a charger in the box.
