Apple plans to launch its highly anticipated electric car in 2019, insiders told the Wall Street Journal. People in charge of “Project Titan” have received permission to triple their workforce from 600 to 1,800 in order to accelerate development.
The newspaper reports that Apple has conducted a feasibility study over more than a year and met with Californian authorities. They’ve also hired self-driving car experts, although the same sources believe that Apple won’t release a fully autonomous vehicle first.
The tech giant is already fairly present in the automotive industry thanks to its expertise with smartphones, batteries, sensors, and integration software. However, with numerous automakers investing massive sums in order to offer multiple electric cars with plenty of range at a decent price by the end of the decade, will the Apple car stand out and enjoy success? It’s hard to speculate given the super-secret nature of Project Titan.
Development is rumoured to be at an advanced stage. Back in the spring, an Apple team met with representatives of the GoMentum station, a former shooting range for the U.S. Marine that was transformed into a secured testing facility for driverless and connected cars. Emails suggest that Apple is interested in booking some sessions there. Also, a look at the company’s LinkedIn account reveals that an automotive chassis specialist was recently hired.