Sketchy rumor claims Apple is making an electric minibus

VW van
This is the VW van Apple will use.
Photo: VW

Apple’s long-rumored self-driving car project might not churn out a car at all. Instead, it might just be an electric minibus.

According to a sketchy new rumor, Apple engineers have supposedly created a new minibus, which should be able to drive autonomously, if it ever hits the road.

Rumors about Apple’s Project Titan have been swirling around the internet for nearly five years. Originally, Apple allegedly planned to design its own Tesla competitor from the ground up. After hitting roadblocks and losing key engineers, the focus of the project changed to create the underlying technology for self-driving cars.

Apple’s making a minivan?

German site Manager Magazin is out with a new report claiming Apple still wants to make its own car. The company has reportedly created a couple of designs and is researching important components too. Here’s a Google translation of the juiciest part of the site’s report:

“The Apple Car could come in the form of an electric van. Apple’s engineers have designed specimens with black and silver paint, designed in the typical industrial design of the iPhone group. Apple also researches on its own batteries, electric motors, special seats and interior components.

Manager Magazin doesn’t have a track record for being a reliable source of Apple news, so take all of that with a hearty dose of skepticism. Apple signed a deal with VW last year to use its vans as self-driving shuttles. This new report could be an extension of that deal where Apple is making some customizations to VWs vans.

Apple recently hired former Tesla lead engineer Doug Field to lead its self-driving car project alongside Bob Mansfield. The project recently cut more than 200 employees from the team though so it’s unlikely that Apple will come out with a car anytime before 2023.

Cult of Mac