Apple Car Coming in 2019, Report Says

Apple's plans to build a high-tech electric vehicle are beginning to take shape. According to a report fromThe Wall Street Journal, Apple has targeted 2019 as the ship date for its first vehicle.

Recently, Apple has plucked many high-profile executives from the automotive industry, including former Fiat Chrysler quality chief Doug Betts and ex-Ford engineer Steve Zadesky. The company has also been hunting around for an autonomous car proving ground. Emails surfaced this summer confirming Apple's interest in using the 5,000-acre GoMentum station near San Francisco for testing autonomous technologies.

It's still unclear whether Apple will partner with an automaker to build its future cars or venture out on its own. But we might not see a fully autonomous car by Apple on its first go-around. Instead, the self-driving technology is reportedly part of Apple's long-term plans.

It might also be too much to expect the Apple car to reach actual consumers by 2019. While Apple has targeted 2019 as the ship date, the deadline could simply refer to the date engineers finalize main features on the car. And if Apple is anything like Tesla, there could be unforeseen delays in the development process.

But Apple should come well prepared to the game. The tech giant has spent more than a year validating the feasibility of a car program, hiring a huge team of tech and auto industry professionals to complete the task. And since cars are becoming giant smartphones on wheels, it seems like it's only a matter of time before Apple takes a piece of the pie.

Source: The Wall Street Journal