Apple and BMW have reportedly engaged in negotiations over Apple’s interest in using BMW’s i3 electric car as a basis for its own electric car project, according to a news report from a German publication.
APPLE IS MAKING A LOT OF CAR-RELATED HIRES
The news of Apple’s work on building an electric vehicle was first reported earlier this year with reportedly hundreds of employees working on the project after approval from Tim Cook a year earlier. It was later revealed that some of Apple’s key team members and new hires from the automotive industry are currently working on this project. Earlier this week, Apple hired Doug Betts, who is the former Senior Vice President of the Chrysler Groups and the global head of operations leading product service and quality. Apple also hired Paul Furgale, who is a researcher with a specialization in autonomous vehicles.
APPLE CEO AND EXECUTIVES VISITED BMW IN GERMANY
According to news reports, the CEO of Apple, Tim Cook, along with other Apple executives, recently met with BMW in Leipzig, Germany to visit the car maker’s i3 product line. Apple is allegedly interested in the carbon fiber shell that the i3 is manufactured with.
BMW’s i3 was a very well received electric car that gets around 80 miles on a charge and has an optional gas-based range extender which can add a few gallons worth of range to the vehicle for longer commutes. However, this is not going to become a game-changing car.
APPLE IS TO MAKE MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS TO I3 MODEL
If Apple is indeed going to use the i3 model, they will have to do some major work to make the i3 more industry breaking. This wouldn’t be very uncommon for Apple, who have been known the incorporate more features that aren’t available from the competition when it enters markets.
This automotive industry is one of the few meaningful additions to the Apple scale. Electric vehicles and cars that can operate on autopilot have been taking off within in the past few years. Apple’s interest is not surprising, as Google has been working with cars for a while.
The report says that Apple has been in negotiations with BMW since the fall of last year, but have yet to come to an agreement.
