It’s no secret that governments and technology companies across the globe have been investing in autonomous technology. Whoever cracks the secret to a fully self-driving car could potentially make a fortune, and change the way we use cars and the roads forever.

With all the speculation about different companies doing research and development on autonomous vehicles, attention turned to Apple – the world’s biggest technology company. Having revolutionised the mobile phone and the watch, surely they would one day turn their attention to motoring? So the question on a lot of people’s lips – is there going to be an Apple Car?

What is the Apple Car?

While the company has not revealed any details about the project, it’s been more than heavily rumoured that Apple have been working on an electric car project since 2014. As recently as 2018, 5,000 Apple employees were said to be dedicated to the project, with the idea of entering the motoring market.

As well as the self-driving capability, Apple is said to be looking at creating ‘next-level’ battery technology, greatly extending the range and power that electric cars have, perhaps even competing with those created by Tesla.

What would an Apple Car be like?

An Apple Car would be one designed and built by the famous technology company. While a partnership with an existing manufacturer is not out of the question, Apple has the resources to build it themselves from scratch.

The idea would be a self-driving car with an Apple operating system. Whether this is some sort of variation on the mobile iOS, something related to the Mac systems, or something completely new, is unclear. But the idea has a high amount of appeal to fans of the big tech company.

So you should expect a car with an efficient, intelligent operating system that’s packaged inside a beautiful exterior. Expect lots of white polished materials.

So why haven’t Apple said anything?

Apple are good at keeping secrets. The number of times they’ve launched new products at surprisingly short notice, it would make sense they would do the same with a car. But the amount of secrecy they would need to hide testing any car, never mind a self-driving vehicle.

There’s also a chance that Apple may not even go through with the project. If they find the technology to be too difficult, or not worth investing in, then it may be quietly cancelled. Companies like Apple must invest in hundreds of projects that don’t go anywhere, even one as big as a self-driving car.

Will Apple buy Tesla?

Both Tesla and Apple are extremely popular companies. Unlike a lot of the big manufacturers, they have a level of fandom and devotion that makes them almost like celebrities or sports teams. This devotion has often meant questions have been asked about these two companies merging, with Apple buying out Tesla. However, this is unlikely.

While Apple have bought up companies in the past, the size of Tesla would make it one of the biggest deals in history. So no matter how much the fans of both may like to see a merger, it’s not likely to happen.

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