Apple Car Manufacturer to Be Revealed in ’22 Despite Many Project Challenges

Apple began its EV project way back in 2014 – that was eight long years ago, but the company finally expects to complete this project in 2024. Numerous reports have come in about Apple talking to Hyundai-Kia, Nissan, Toyota, and even LG Magna, but all conversations have gone under. Now, Apple is considering building the whole car in house, which will be extremely challenging to accomplish. According to Korea’s ET News Apple sent a team to look at the EV parts needed for the upcoming Apple Car, focusing on providing parts to begin mass production of the vehicle. This team was sent in December 2021 just before the holidays and is now the “Apple Car Taskforce.”

The statement from ET News says, “The domestic components industry has entered a full-scale war to enter the Apple Autonomous vehicle ‘Apple Car’ supply chain (SCM). Apple is expected to finalize the selection of Apple Car suppliers in a big framework throughout the year and enter full-scale development. Apple is reportedly interested in South Korean companies for key components.” 

ET News said that Apple had talks with one major automotive manufacturer. However, the company wants only electronic firms to join the project for the usage of their parts: “The business related to Apple Car is being done under the surface, if information is leaked to a company, then the company may be removed from the supplier candidate. It is being handled very carefully.” This means in typical Apple fashion, they are trying their hardest to keep anticipation for the Apple Car “like Christmas Eve for a while.”

Apple did have talks in early 2021 with Hyundai-Kia to manufacture the Apple Car in Georgia – Apple was also going to invest in the company for doing so. The talks fell apart when Hyundai-Kai confirmed they were in talks with Apple instead of keeping it under wraps, which angered Apple. Apple previously had talks with Toyota, who wanted it to be an Apple and Toyota branded car, so talks failed. Apple also had talks with LG Magna to manufacture the vehicle. 

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said Apple could go much further and independently produce the car through a partner like Foxconn, which already produces the iPhone. Funny enough, Foxconn makes EVs now, and for Apple, that would be an easy partnership since the two companies already have a stellar working relationship. This will likely affect how much info stays under wraps with the project if this is the route Apple wants to take.

Apple is still pushing for a 2024 release with Kevin Lynch over the project. But there are other problems now with the execs over the Apple Car Project.

The team of car executives took another loss after the head of software engineering program manager Joe Bass left to join Meta (Facebook). According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Bass was the last one in the Apple Car executive team placed a year ago, and with his departure, the entire team is now gone.

Last year the other top execs left to join jobs at Google, Meta (Facebook), and Ford Motor Company – and many other of Apple’s employees in 2021 left Apple to join Meta (Facebook), raising red flags.

Apple is optimistic that it will release its game-changing EV in 2024 (22 months from now) and is still said to name its manufacturer for the Apple Car later in 2022.

2022 will determine the future of the Apple Car project, Apple will have to find new members for the team, and as we know, Apple has hired many former Tesla employees for this project. Apple will have a fight on its hands for 2022 with only 22 months to complete the project and get the car mass-produced.

Apple has been working on the Project Titan project since 2014, and when the car launches, it will have been ten years of developing the vehicle. Huawei, the Apple copycat in China, has an SUV EV out now that is beautifully designed, but it only took them five months to develop and two months to be mass-produced.

Apple is a company that wants to get it right the first time, which is why it is taking them ten years for the Apple Car to be released. COVID-19 has affected the release dates of the car as it was expected to be released in 2020, then it was delayed to 2022, but the year that is a stronghold from many reliable leakers is 2024.

The Apple Car isn’t the only game-changing product they’ve been having issues with behind the scenes. The Apple Mixed Reality Headset has also had problems too, but the Apple Car project has had far more design changes and challenges. Plus, something strange is going on with the management team because all of them have left Apple for Meta (Facebook), Google, and other startups. These conflicts and manufacturing problems will likely continue, but let’s just hope that we finally do get to see the car in 2024.

[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]