Apple will reportedly release its long-rumored electric car next year in September. The news comes from Taiwan’s Economic Daily (via MacRumors), which claims that “dozens” of prototype vehicles are already being tested in California. We’re a bit skeptical of the report, however, as trusted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously hinted that the Apple Car would not see the light of day until 2023 at the earliest.
“We expect that Apple Car, which will likely be launched in 2023–2025, will be the next star product,” Kuo said in 2018, providing four reasons as to why the company is delving into the automotive business.
- Potentially huge replacement demands are emerging in the auto sector because it is being redefined by new technologies. The case is the same as the smartphone sector 10 years ago.
- Apple’s leading technology advantages (e.g. AR) would redefine cars and differentiate Apple Car from peers’ products.
- Apple’s service will grow significantly by entering the huge car finance market via Apple Car.
- Apple can do a better integration of hardware, software, and service than current competitors in the consumer electronics sector and potential competitors in the auto sector.
A Bloomberg report from earlier this month revealed that Apple artificial intelligence lead John Giannandrea had taken leadership of the company’s self-driving car unit. Dubbed “Project Titan,” Apple CEO Tim Cook has described it as the “mother of all AI projects” and “a core technology that we view as very important.”
“Apple has tested the technology on public roads across the San Francisco Bay Area since 2017,” Bloomberg noted. “Last year, the company’s vehicles drove an average of about 118 miles before a human safety driver had to take control.”