Apple is reported to have plans of making a car but without the help from German vehicle maker BMW.
Apple is well-known in the tech industry for its Mac computers, iPhones, iPads and more. The company is also said to be exploring possibilities of making a car under its brand.
A Reuters report cites people familiar with the matter at BMW and suggests that Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, visited BMW's headquarters in 2014 probably to discuss an Apple car. Top Apple executives also visited BMW's Leipzig factory to understand the manufacturing process of the i3 Electric car.
The sources also divulged that Cook's meetings ended inconclusively as Apple wants to develop a passenger car on its own.
BMW is also being cautious as the car-maker does not want to share its manufacturing process with a software supplier such as Apple.
"Apple executives were impressed with the fact that we abandoned traditional approaches to car making and started afresh. It chimed with the way they do things too," says an unnamed senior source at BMW.
Apple revolutionized the smartphone and the tablet industry with the launch of the iPhone and iPad in 2007 and 2010 respectively. Car-making will be a new business for Apple but many experts believe that Apple may give stiff competition to Tesla if it launches its own electric vehicle.
Reports of Apple showing interest in cars are not new. A February 2015 Wall Street Journal report let on that Apple is trying to venture into the car industry with the launch of an electric car and hundreds of employees are already working on the project.
The Wall Street Journal also cited people familiar with Apple's car project and reports that Cook has already approved the car project and also assigned the project to Vice President Steve Zadesky, who is a former Ford engineer.
"Mr. Zadesky was given permission to create a 1,000-person team and poach employees from different parts of the company, one of the people familiar with the matter said," reported the Wall Street Journal.
The people working on the car project are said to be based just a few miles away from Apple's headquarters in Cupertino. The team is researching on various types of robotics, metals and materials that are consistent with car manufacturing.
Apple has not yet announced any plans on its car project, which means that Apple product enthusiasts will have to wait longer before an Apple car is officially announced.
Photo: Christopher Aloi | Flickr
