Back in 2016 we heard a report that suggested that Apple had apparently given up on building its own car. Instead it was suggested that the company could be looking at developing software for cars, and a recent permit granted by the California DMV has suggested that Apple’s car plans are still alive and well, although to what extent is unclear.
However it seems that at least one analyst believes that Apple could still be toying with the idea of making a whole car. In a report from CNBC, they quote analyst Gene Munster who suggests that Apple is “almost certainly” exploring building its own car, but he notes that there are several hurdles that could prevent that from being made a reality.
As noted on his blog, Munster writes, “Apple is almost certainly exploring how it could build an entire car, but as we learned the hard way with an Apple television, exploration does not mean a product comes to market.” However he adds that while Apple might succeed on the software side of things, finding a manufacturing partner would be something Apple needs to do.
Munster also notes that the typical design process of an automotive is 5-7 years, meaning that Apple could be very far behind the likes of companies such as Tesla and Google who have had years on Apple in the self-driving/electric car department, so until then maybe don’t get your hopes up just yet.
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