Will Apple's autonomous car soon become reality?

Apple is hoping car makers will figure that, rather than waste precious resources developing their own software, they’d be better off tapping Apple’s system, which can reach deep into the car to offer a wealth of functions such as displaying speed and economy, or provide remote services. With direct control over central processors and links to on-board sensors, autonomous driving would be the next logical step.

But the sheer number of seasoned auto executives and engineers who end up at Apple’s base in Cupertino, south-east of San Francisco, suggest that a car is Apple’s ultimate goal.

Also in May, Apple welcomed seasoned Ford executive Desi Ujkashevic, who had been director of engineering for North American programmes for the Blue Oval. In June, Apple hired Ulrich Kranz, a former BMW executive who oversaw development of the BMW i3 and i8, and later headed up Californian EV start-up Canoo.

Brits are well represented over there, too, and include Pete Jolley, former chief engineer for concept and innovation at Aston Martin and now a ‘director’ at Apple since February last year.

Every so often, a slew of car people will leave, including last year the former head of Apple special projects, Doug Field, who moved to Ford. That sparks rumours that Apple has got fed up and is on the verge of cancelling, like it did with the long-developed but never-launched Apple TV.

An autonomous car would give Apple a nice long runway to solve its production problem, given that in the first few years its needs will barely run into the hundreds of vehicles, not the thousands.

The company won’t want to build the car, but neither has it had much luck persuading anyone else to, reportedly failing to reach an agreement with Hyundai. 

Apple’s long-time iPhone contract makers, Taiwan’s Foxconn, could be in the frame after it completed the purchase in May of the former GM factory in Lordstown. Foxconn is keen to spread its wings in that direction and has signed up EV start-up Fisker to make the Pear budget electric car at the plant, possibly with the long-term goal of wooing Apple.