It looks like Apple is carefully considering how to develop charging stations for its rumored, in-development electric car project. A report from Reuters claims that the Cupertino company has been in discussions with a number of companies behind charging station technology.
An anonymous “person with knowledge of the matter” told Reuters that Apple has been busy doing this with a view to learning more about these companies’ underlying technology. The talks look likely to be connected with Apple’s secretive car project, previously referred to as Project Titan – as the source insists that they do not concern charging for Apple workers’ own electric cars.
Apparently, however, the charging companies are “treading carefully” with Apple, not willing to share too many details with a company that could become a rival. The report adds that it remains unclear whether Apple is considering developing proprietary technology akin to Tesla Motors’ Supercharger network or infrastructure compatible with electric cars from other companies.
The latter could provide a lucrative opportunity for Apple, given the nationwide shortage of public charging stations for electric vehicles. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has estimated that California will, by 2020, require about 13 to 25 times its current rough total of 8,000 corporate and public chargers to support the 1 million electric vehicles projected to be on the road by then.