Talks of an Apple Car have left the internet speculating as to how to company will select a manufacturer for the upcoming, autonomous technology vehicle.
As Apple prepares for its first foray into the auto market, Bloomberg posits the tech company could adopt the same strategy it used for building the iPhone – working with contract manufacturers instead of building devices on its own.
Building and maintaining factories is an expensive task and Apple has largely avoided this, aside from its limited Mac Pro production in the USA.
The speculation follows a series of rumors regarding the manufacturing of Apple’s Car, as Apple was, and reportedly is no longer, in talks with Hyundai and Kia.
Apple’s First Electric Cars Designed to Be Driverless, Made by Kia USA: Report https://t.co/nU8ZjPyakO
— TeslaNorth.com (@RealTeslaNorth) February 4, 2021
While Apple’s talks with existing automakers have stalled, at least in the public eye, the company could still either build its own manufacturing facilities, or it could partner with a smaller contract manufacturer like it has done with Foxconn in the past.
According to one anonymous longtime manager at both Apple and Tesla, choosing an existing automaker to manufacture the Apple Car could be likened to asking Samsung to manufacture the iPhone. It’s presumed a legacy automaker would be hesitant to help build a rival’s electric car, especially from Apple, a company known to disrupt industries.
While we’re still years out from any news regarding an Apple Car, it seems likely that the company may elect to partner with a contract manufacturer like Foxconn, or more likely, Canada’s Magna, to design the autonomous vehicle, according to industry insiders.
