Apple has 'several hundred' workers designing new electric car, codenamed 'Titan' - report

AppleInsider ^ | 13 Feb 2015 | Sam Oliver

[shove_it]

The smoke surrounding rumors of an Apple-branded vehicle has begun to thicken, as a new report says that Apple is indeed working on an all-electric vehicle that would take the shape of a minivan, with a huge team tasked to the project.

Apple has given the project codename "Titan," according to the Wall Street Journal. The company is said to have "several hundred" employees working in the group.

Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly green-lighted the project almost a year ago, and company executives have already begun to meet with potential contract manufacturers, including Canadian firm Magna Steyr. Apple iPod and iPhone designer Steve Zadesky, formerly of Ford, is said to be running the project.

The team — which has its own development facility away from the main Infinite Loop campus — could eventually swell to some 1,000 employees, and Zadesky has been given free reign to pull talent from any existing Apple group. Zadesky's group is reportedly researching "robotics, metals and materials consistent with automobile manufacturing."

The Journal's report follows hours after a similar missive from the Financial Times, which revealed a "top-secret research lab" staffed with automotive executives. Among those who have made the move is former Mercedes-Benz R&D head Johann Jungwirth, who joined Apple as a Mac systems engineering leader last fall.

Apple design chief Jony Ive is believed to have been personally recruiting automotive executives. Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed earlier that Apple has tried "very hard" to poach engineers from the electric carmaker, offering $250,000 bonuses and 60 percent pay raises.

Rumors of an Apple-branded vehicle have been around for years, but began to gather steam when Apple was revealed as the company behind a fleet of mysterious sensor-laden vans which have appeared around the U.S. in recent months. Those vans, which are almost certainly designed for data collection to augment Apple's mapping service, are unlikely to be directly related to any potential vehicle project, which is likely years away from production.

[Swordmaker]

Okay, where do I get all of this free apple crap to evaluate as I am damn sure not going to spend a penny based

Just as I thought, no experience with Apple Macs, and talking through your hat.

[tacticalogic]

I want you to show me that they would HAVE jobs absent Apple building. That's a positive.

No, you want me to disprove the premise that all of those people would be unemployed if Apple hadn't built that building. You've imagined an alternate timeline, and want me to prove that it could not happen.

[Eaker]

You come here and insult other peoples opinions and then expect me to go out and spend thousands of dollars on crap because you like crap?

No experience? So how many weeks did you spend in a gay bathhouse to try and determine if you are straight or homosexual? See unlike you, I am intelligent and intuitive and don’t need to try something to determine if I like it or not. I know fire is hot so I have never had to stick my hand into one to form an opinion. I know apple sucks so I don’t have to buy the garbage as I have seen enough of them to know better.

You couldn’t sell ice cubes in hell boy and you damn sure haven’t sold any apple products on this thread.

[Swordmaker]

No, you want me to disprove the premise that all of those people would be unemployed if Apple hadn't built that building. You've imagined an alternate timeline, and want me to prove that it could not happen.

YOU are the one asserting there are jobs for them. THAT is a positive. PROVE IT. Show the employment rate in the construction industry is high. Show that there is lots of jobs going begging. You cannot do it. So you try to reverse the challenge. YOU CLAIMED THEY'D BE WORKING! Where are the jobs? Doing what? Flipping burgers? Put up or shut up! Who else is building in the Silicon Valley area? Come on. Tell us. Who else is building a project of such magnitude. COME ON, Tacticalogic. SHOW US! Show us the jobs that are hiring and can't find workers! That's all you have to do. It's not a negative. If they were there, I could do it easily.

[Eaker]

WOW!

You have a big mouth too!

LOL! Nice try boy but people like you just make us men laugh.

[mrsmith]

“I don’t think they are building a car, I think they are developing the compete operating system for the car. “

Yeah, something like that. There’s already plenty of piglets at the ecar subsidy teats.

Probably putting everything on one ARM chip, including ‘robot’ diving.

[roadcat]

iMove car? It looks more like iGor (humpback and all). If it's an electric car, how about iCarE ("E" for electrical)? However, Apple has dropped the "i" on new product names, as pretty much everything made now is internet capable.

[Swordmaker]

No experience? So how many weeks did you spend in a gay bathhouse to try and determine if you are straight or homosexual? See unlike you, I am intelligent and intuitive and don’t need to try something to determine if I like it or not. I know fire is hot so I have never had to stick my hand into one to form an opinion. I know apple sucks so I don’t have to buy the garbage as I have seen enough of them to know better.

You admitted you have no experience with Macs.

WOW! You know everything there is about another platform without ever using one. Amazing. Psychic, huh? I am not trying to sell Apple product on this thread, especially not to an ignorant opinionated person like you. You have a hermetically close and sealed mind. "Don't bother me with facts, don't bother me with evidence. I already know what I know. . . just because I know it," says Eaker, the "expert". You are really amazing Eaker.

You remind me of another who was absolutely sure of his ignorant opinion, who knew what he knew, no matter what.

I could not, would not, on a boat.
I will not, will not, with a goat.
I will not eat them in the rain.
I will not eat them on a train.
Not in the dark! Not in a tree!
Not in a car! You let me be!
I do not like them in a box.
I do not like them with a fox.
I will not eat them in a house.
I do not like them with a mouse.
I do not like them here or there.
I do not like them ANYWHERE!

I do not like
Apple Macs
and iPhones!

I do not like them,
Eaker-I-am.

Perhaps you might want to ask the opinion of these people about the value of Mac computers about whether they "suck" or not. . .

Those are all the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists who planned and executed the landing of theCuriosity
Lander on Mars. . . with their personal computers . . . I only see a couple of non-Apple computers in the room.
I think they might not agree with your assessment of Apple's computers "sucking".

[Swordmaker]

You couldn’t sell ice cubes in hell boy and you damn sure haven’t sold any apple products on this thread.

By the way, I am 11 years older than you. . . kid.

[Eaker]

Mentally you are not wee one.

Now you go wash up and hit the sack or I’ll take your Etch-A-Sketch away.

[roadcat]

I also think Gov’t Motors and Ford trucks suck.

A lot of those American car components are made overseas or outside the USA. One time a boss of mine was commenting on my purchase of a Japanese car, not being American made. I popped the hood on his Ford truck and pointed out that most of the drivetrain was Japanese made by Mazda. A lot of GM and Ford products are made elsewhere, some in Canada and Mexico. While Japanese cars like Nissan and Toyota are made here (Titan and Altima in Tennessee). Hard to know what to buy any more based on country of origin, but Apple makes far more stuff here and employs more Americans than most PC makers.

[Swordmaker]

You have a big mouth too!

"WOW!" Back at you. You are offended that I told you the truth about my experience that don't seem to have anything close to. Why? Because you can't match it? That is not bragging when you've walked the walk? You are not a man. . . you are scared to try something you don't understand. Why? What are you afraid of? That you have been WRONG all these years? That you've hitched your wagon to the wrong horse? You can learn, you know. You don't have to be wrong forever.

People who do not have cogent argument start insulting their opponents. . . just as you are doing with your ad hominem insults and slurs aimed at me.

[Eaker]

You are really amazing Eaker.

You finally got something right.

Took your fanboy butt all night to finally post a universal truth.

[Eaker]

I bought the Titan because it is superior vehicle and great to drive too.

No other reason.

[Swordmaker]

Now you go wash up and hit the sack or I’ll take your Etch-A-Sketch away.

See, more fear and insults. What are you afraid of? Why do you feel the need to denigrate someone you don't know? You are ignorant of Macs. Ignorance is curable. . . but when you ask for assistance in curing that ignorance and sprinkle it with insults and slurs, you are not going to get it. So why do it? Why come into an Apple thread and spread discord? You are being an asshat. Why? What are you gaining by being a skunk?

[Swordmaker]

Took your fanboy butt all night to finally post a universal truth.

No comment.

[tacticalogic]

YOU are the one asserting there are jobs for them. THAT is a positive. PROVE IT. Show the employment rate in the construction industry is high. Show that there is lots of jobs going begging. You cannot do it. So you try to reverse the challenge. YOU CLAIMED THEY'D BE WORKING! Where are the jobs? Doing what? Flipping burgers? Put up or shut up! Who else is building in the Silicon Valley area? Come on. Tell us. Who else is building a project of such magnitude. COME ON, Tacticalogic. SHOW US! Show us the jobs that are hiring and can't find workers! That's all you have to do. It's not a negative. If they were there, I could do it easily.

I never made a positive claim that they would all have jobs.

Here's you, claiming they would all be idle:

Show me how those construction workers would have jobs if Apple would NOT be building. This is a recession. Nobody is building. They would be idle if it were not for Apple building.While they are working, they are full time jobs. Apple has construction plans for the foreseeable future.

129 posted on 02/14/2015 12:36:26 PM PST by Swordmaker

You're the one making claim, but that claim can neither be proven nor disproven, so rather than you having to prove it's true you'll put it on me to prove that it's false. It was loaded right out of the gate.

[Swordmaker]

You're the one making claim, but that claim can neither be proven nor disproven, so rather than you having to prove it's true you'll put it on me to prove that it's false. It was loaded right out of the gate.

ROTFLMAO! Keep dancing.

[superfries]

I’m gonna check back in an hour and see which of you finds your sanity first:) This is better than SNL’s Valentines special.....lol

[Eaker]

I pointed out I wouldn’t buy the POC and you have crying like a girl ever since. Now I wouldn’t join the apple cult for anything.

I am not going to buy a Smart Car with my own money to evaluate it either because I KNOW I wouldn’t like it. If apple offers me for free all of their products I would try them but there is no other way. I don’t know why you can’t understand this. Are the words too big, typed too fast or not your native language?

You fanboys are as bad as muslims. You never did elaborate about your weeks in a homo bathhouse or tell me your favorite color. What are you afraid of?

Note the tagline wee one.