Apple Car Schematics Reportedly Presented to Japanese Auto Parts Maker in 2020

In January 2020, a man who identified himself as an Apple parts manager informed Japanese auto supplier Sanden that Apple wanted to make electric vehicles, and presented schematics of an electric vehicle and air conditioner parts, according to Nikkei Asia.

vanarama apple car concept

Apple Car concept by Vanarama based on patents filed by Apple

Sanden is a leading manufacturer of air conditioner parts for vehicles, and Apple and Sanden went on to discuss specific parts requirements, the report claims. However, due to financial struggles worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, Sanden filed for debt restructuring with its creditors in June 2020 and the Apple Car talks apparently faded.

While the report does not provide any further details about the talks between the two companies, it lends further credence to Apple's long-rumored electric vehicle ambitions.

In November 2021, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple was accelerating its work on the project and aiming for an electric vehicle with full self-driving capabilities. Gurman said Apple was targeting a 2025 launch, but the project has faced numerous setbacks and key departures over the years, so the timeframe is not certain.

Related Roundup: Apple Car
Tag: Nikkei

Top Rated Comments

steve333 Avatar
25 months ago
If it looks anything like that picture it will be a quick exit from the market
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
25 months ago

Yes, but they had Steve Jobs back then. Little Timmy is a genius bean counter, but he is no visionary.
Any time someone says “Timmy” and “bean counter” I know everything i need to know.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djcerla Avatar
25 months ago
It’s almost laughable to picture Apple as a car manufacturer, but to me at least the car market in 2022 looks a lot like the cellphone market in 2007.

A huge opportunity for the “computer guys”.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nwcs Avatar
25 months ago
I wonder what Apple would have to do to get me to consider them as a viable vehicle option? Of course it depends greatly upon what they ultimately reveal and price but even then I’d be very wary.

For all the hype Tesla still doesn’t strike me as reliable enough and ergonomic enough for my preferences. Getting closer but the enthusiasm for the Tesla seems to be outpacing the reality.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
25 months ago

It’s going to be forever till Apple car gets here. By then, Tesla would have taken the electric auto industry by a big margin. It’ll be very hard to catch up for Apple.

Meanwhile, Apple continues to lose more engineers.

https://www.macrumors.com/2021/12/08/apple-car-project-loses-3-engineers/

https://9to5mac.com/2021/12/08/bloomberg-apple-loses-even-more-engineers-from-its-car-project-team/
Apple continues to gain engineers, actually.

Did you also think Apple couldn’t make a dent in the phone industry? They came very late to that industry.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mannyvel Avatar
25 months ago

Like proving to the NHTSA that you have a car that doesn't need a driver at all times present in case something happens that is unexpected.
Tesla seems to have no problems in that regard.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 17

iOS 17.2 Will Add These 12 New Features to Your iPhone

Friday December 1, 2023 12:19 pm PST by
iOS 17.2 has been in beta testing for over a month, and it should be released to all users in a few more weeks. The software update includes many new features and changes for iPhones, including the dozen that we have highlighted below. iOS 17.2 is expected to be released to the public in mid-December. To learn about even more features coming in the update, check out our full list. Journal ...
iOS 16 4 Web Push

Apple Confirms Governments Using Push Notifications to Surveil Users

Wednesday December 6, 2023 5:06 am PST by
Unidentified governments are surveilling smartphone users by tracking push notifications that move through Google's and Apple's servers, a US senator warned on Wednesday (via Reuters). In a letter to the Department of Justice, Senator Ron Wyden said foreign officials were demanding the data from the tech giants to track smartphones. The traffic flowing from apps that send push notifications...
airpods pro 2 pink

Apple Releases New AirPods Pro 2 Firmware

Tuesday December 5, 2023 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware update for both the Lightning and USB-C versions of the AirPods Pro 2. The new firmware is version 6B34, up from the 6B32 firmware introduced in November. Apple does not provide details on what features might be included in the refreshed firmware beyond "bug fixes and other improvements," so it is unclear what's new in the update, but prior software releases ...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

'All-Screen' iPhone Under-Display Camera Enters Development

Wednesday December 6, 2023 2:03 am PST by
Apple's Korean suppliers have begun developing smartphone under-display cameras (UDC), paving the way for the first iPhone with a true "all-screen" appearance. According to The Elec, LG Innotek has entered the preliminary development of the UDC, which sits under the display and does not result in a visible hole in the panel when the camera is not in use. A UDC differs from a typical front ...
magsafe blue 2

iOS 17.2 Brings Qi2 Support to iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 Models

Tuesday December 5, 2023 11:04 am PST by
The iOS 17.2 update that Apple is set to release to the public in the near future will bring support for the next-generation Qi2 wireless charging standard to the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models. Qi2 was mentioned in the release notes for the RC version of the update that came out today. With the addition of support for the new standard, iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models will work with Qi2...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 May Reuse Existing iPhone 14 Battery

Wednesday December 6, 2023 1:17 pm PST by
Recently, MacRumors has received details on the battery currently being tested on the upcoming fourth-generation iPhone SE, and the information corroborates previous findings in relation to the device. The iPhone SE 4, known by its device identifier D59, is expected to use the exact same battery found in the base model iPhone 14. Partially assembled prototypes of the next iPhone SE have been ...
airpods pro bulbs

Black Friday Prices Return for AirPods Pro 2 With USB-C, iPad, and More

Tuesday December 5, 2023 7:30 am PST by
Today we're tracking a collection of deals that are matching - or nearly matching - the same all-time low discounts we saw during Black Friday. This includes the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C, 9th generation iPad, and M1 MacBook Air. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the ...
instagram messenger

Instagram and Facebook Messenger Chats to Disconnect This Month

Tuesday December 5, 2023 1:57 am PST by
Meta has revealed plans to end Instagram users' ability to chat with Facebook accounts later this month, rolling back a feature that it introduced over three years ago. In September 2020, Meta (then Facebook) announced it was merging its Facebook Messenger service with Instagram direct messaging, allowing Instagram users to chat with Facebook users and vice versa using the same platform....