Apple reportedly intends to start making its heavily-rumored self-driving car by 2020 – but may need to partner with another company, which could be BMW, in order to do so.
AppleInsider cites a source knowledgeable about Apple’s Project Titan, as the car project has been called, referring to the possibility of the company looking to collaborate with an established automotive firm. This could help Apple to realize an internal aim to embark on manufacturing the car within five years.
Last month, Apple purchased a $138 million construction plot measuring 43 acres in San Jose. Apple is said to be considering using this site to develop and maybe even assemble its self-driving car, which could turn out much like the BMW i3 electric car, pictured above. This is a sensible judgment on the basis of past reports – and AppleInsider‘s source has apparently claimed that Apple remains open to modeling its own car on the i3.
There is no concrete evidence that Apple and BMW have put pen to paper for such a project, though it is known that the two companies have explored the possibility. BMW chief Harald Krüger even recently told CNBC that his company working with the iPhone maker on a car “may be a nice idea”, but declined to answer the question of whether it is indeed on the cards.