Posted on 02/14/2015 4:07:50 AM PST by 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.
Once the lols come out, anything worth reading is probably pretty well over with.
Use it with my blessing, since you seem to need validation from somewhere. Good luck with taking yours out of context. That's the sign of a weak kid. People with real accomplishments have no need of such validation. Sorry, but that's the truth.
I have been trying to educate you about the facts. I cannot help you if you prefer to remain willfully ignorant. That's stupid. Too bad.
By the way, Eaker, You haven’t responded to the photo of all those engineers and their choice of computer. . . Apple Macs. Kind of shoots down your claims about Apple Macs sucking, doesn’t it. They know what equipment is best and they bought those out of their own pocket.
I've been laughing out loud at you for sometime.
I've decided you are an asshat over that last remark about muslims. That is unforgivable. You claim I have been crying like a girl since you claimed you weren't going buy an Mac. You've got that wrong. I didn't give a damn whether you bought a Mac or not.
No, you arrogantly claimed your opinion was more valuable than another Freeper, Star Traveler, and also implied you wouldn't mind if it put Apple out of business because your opinion is so exalted and correct.
The real issue here is MY opinion. It means ever so much more to me than yours does.
It is a shame if my opinion puts Apple out of business but once again it is MY opinion.
To which I replied:
There are opinions, and there are opinions. Not all opinions are equal. Some are educated and some are ignorant. If you do your due diligence you might change your ignorant opinion to an educated one. But that's up to you. I really don't are when someone says they are not interested in learning the facts on an issue because they are so hidebound the facts don't matter.
i merely told you that getting an education could change your ignorance about something obviously know nothing about. You immediately went into attack mode, doubling down:
Fanboy’s opinions matter the least.
As to educated opinions I am seriously questioning yours.
Does it really hurt your wee feelings so much if someone who has been working with computers since the 1970’s knows apple sucks?
Damn! I hope I didn’t ruin your Valentines Day.
Did I mention that apple sucks? If I didn’t I will.
Apple sucks. There I hope this is clear to you fella.
Oh, and to say someone is uneducated because of their opinion is retarded but two can play. What is your favorite color? As soon as you answer I’ll evaluate your level of education and let you know.
You misquoted what I said, and then went ballistic. Typical fear fight or flight response.. . and you kept it up, so you did not have to face whatever it is that you are deathly afraid of. I repeat. What is it you fear so greatly, Eaker? I think it's that you are really not certain of your expertise. . . especially when faced with someone who is certain of theirs and can prove it. That's why you called me a "Loud mouth."
My responses have not been fearful, or mewling like yours, but responsive to your insults
You have proved you are the one who is so hidebound and ignorant that you have to attack to deflect from the fact that you don't know what you are talking about. . . after you put your foot in it. YOU are the one who is crying but not like a little girl, but rather like a fearful three year old, pointing fingers at everyone else..
LOL!
I’m not even going to bother reading this drivel, especially since you had to call in backup because you can’t support yourself.
I guess you are still sore from the bathhouse.
Thanks for the tagline though, at least you were right about one thing.
Typical dismissive from fear. Afraid to find yourself in it. Asshat.
Still at it 2 hours later....outstanding!!!
NAH, Eaker has retired in disarray.
You could remove every tax, regulation and union and the off shoring would continue. The MBA's that run our country are heard animals and nothing will stop this juggernaut of desctruction.
I imagine so.
Alinsky's Rules for Radicals
* RULE 5: “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.”
I suggest you review the Trolls' attacks on every Mac user in every thread on Free Republic and reconsider your position.
I'm not accepting assignment of collective guilt today.
Still at it boy?
LOL!
I love tweaking you widdle fanboys!
That's what I thought. Rude, lying, and obnoxious thread TROLL! One got himself banned from FreeRepublic a couple of weeks ago for obnoxious behavior. . .
That's a personal attack Mr Miscavige.
“I am not excited by this. Until Apple begins to support American workers.”
Why would they? The American government doesn’t. As an Apple stockholder the second they brought that money to America is sue for breach of fiduciary duty. And I’d win.
L
Yes, it certainly is. . . review his attacks on me, and you will see he deserves being called what he is: a TROLL!
I think the business environment is about to swing back toward America.
What I do not know, is whether the democrats, or the Republicans, will be driving it.
I very much want the Republicans to join with Americans and be for American growth. For the first time in an entire generation.
What I fear, is that eventually it will be democrats who seize the issue.
Don’t wait Republicans.
If you wait until the democrats are about to act, you will hand everything to them.
Support American businesses, in America.
What Apple may be doing is building a research vehicle to test various sensors, interior displays and autonomous driving ability, but is based on an existing platform. They could easily work with either BMW or Mercedes-Benz--both of which have research labs in Silicon Valley not far from Apple--to build such a test vehicle.
The Chrysler minivans running around Silicon Valley are in effect the earliest technology demonstrators, since the hardware needed is so bulky based on the state of current technology. It's possible Apple will be able to reduce the size of the hardware so it could fit something like the BMW 2-Series Active Tourer or Mercedes-Benz B-Class hatchback--and could show it off possibly as early as the Los Angeles Auto Show this coming November.
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