The Apple Car: Everything You Need to Know

Apple’s next iPhone-level game changer? It may be a car.

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Published December 10, 2022

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The transportation world is undergoing its greatest revolution since abandoning the horse and buggy. One of the companies looking to define that transition is not a carmaker at all. It’s Apple. The company’s on-again, off-again Project Titan car project is reportedly back on again. The latest reporting has the Apple Car launching in 2026.

Here’s a rundown of everything we know about the Apple Car and what we still have questions about.

Why is Apple building a car?

next generation apple carplay dashboard shown across multiple screens

It’s not readily apparent. But it also wasn’t readily apparent why Apple would bother building phones. And the iPhone is now the world’s most essential and revolutionary consumer product. Ostensibly, Apple is looking for its next brand-defining hero product. And it appears they see an opportunity in the automotive space

How much will the Apple Car cost?

bmw z8 with projection of steve jobs on the roof

The Apple Car should be pricey initially, but maybe not as expensive as first thought. The latest reporting has Apple dropping its target price from $120,000 to $100,000.

Will the Apple Car be able to drive itself?

Not when it launches. Reportedly, Apple anticipated launching a revolutionary new vehicle with full Level 5 autonomy and no steering wheel or pedals. But the leap to Level 5 is proving way more complex and far off than manufacturers anticipated; many are refocusing their efforts on Level 3. Waiting on that tech probably would have precluded Apple from launching a car this decade.

Current plans for the Apple Car now call for it to be a more conventional vehicle that can pilot itself on the highway. That project should be more realistic and achievable. Though it also limits how groundbreaking Apple’s first car can be.

What is the Apple Car going to look like?

We don’t know yet. The latest reports have the vehicle in the pre-prototype stage. What we can say is that aesthetics have been a pivotal component when Apple launches new products. An Apple Car would have to look sleek and distinct from the rest of the car market. Reports have said the Apple Car could bear some resemblance to Canoo’s lifestyle concept.

Who is going to build the Apple car?

It’s not clear yet. Apple is not a car company. Building up to car production is notoriously difficult for independent brands. An Apple Car will likely require partnerships with existing manufacturers for a vehicle platform and for manufacturing.

Reports from a while back had Apple negotiating with Hyundai and Kia about building the vehicle on the E-GMP platform that underpins the Kia EV6 and the Hyundai Ioniq 5. Those talks appear to have broken down. The latest speculation has Apple potentially partnering with FoxConn — builders of the iPhone — or Magna.

The Apple Car could get “next level” battery tech

Apple does have experience with batteries. And a Reuters report from 2020 said Apple was working on some “next-level” monocell battery design that would “radically” reduce costs and improve vehicle range over existing EVs.