Apple has expanded into everything from phones to streamers to watches, but one market they haven’t tried to seize is cars. It’s not been for lack of trying. There’s been speculation that they’d try to crash the automotive industry for years. But now, according to CNBC, they’re close to making that threat a reality.
The news network reports that the tech giant is close to a deal with Hyundai-Kia to manufacture their own line of autonomous electric vehicles — called, for now, of course, the “Apple Car” — at a Kia warehouse in Georgia. By “autonomous electric vehicle,” they of course mean a driverless car — an ever-dodgy technological prospect that is nonetheless a priority at Tesla, who, it looks like, may become their main competitors.
As per CNBC:
“’The first Apple Cars will not be designed to have a driver,’” said one source with knowledge of the current plan. ‘These will be autonomous, electric vehicles designed to operate without a driver and focused on the last mile.’ That could mean Apple cars, at least initially, could focus on package food delivery operations and firms incorporating robotaxis.”
Should the deal pan out, the Apple Car could go into production in 2024, though that may be pushed back. There’s also the possibility they could wind up inking with another automotive manufacturer. In other words, you have a bit longer to become comfortable with a world with cars rolling around amongst us, without people driving them.
(Via CNBC)