Apple Car 2019: Company Aims For Electric Vehicle Release Within 4 Years

Tech giant Apple is reportedly aiming to release its own electric vehicle in 2019, a year earlier than originally mentioned.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple is ramping up its efforts to make an electric vehicle and have it released in 2019.

Codenamed "Project Titan," the said project is "accelerating" and the plan to release the EV is now a "committed project."

Sources have told the WSJ that the first car that the tech giant is going to release won't be fully autonomous, although that has been part of a long-term plan.

In speeding up the developments, the report says that Apple has currently added 1,200 employees to its team, tripling the original 600-man team that was working on it.

9to5mac reports that although there is a "crack team of auto engineers" working on the highly-anticipated vehicle, there are rumors saying that Apple is working with BMW, and will use the i3 as the springboard for the Apple car.

The Apple scoop site adds that recently, the tech giant might be near the testing phase for a first prototype make, as investigations of possible test tracks have been made.

In another report, 9to5mac gives some of the names of the people that Apple has hired to take on the ambitious project, both from inside and outside the company. Here are some of them:

Steve Zadesky was a former Ford executive. He is the product design Vice President, leading the team at the helm.

Johann Jungwirth is a former president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Research & Development.

Robert Gough is from Autoliv, a company that designs car safety systems.

David Nelson and Pete Augenbergs are both mechanical engineers from Tesla.

Hugh Jay from EMCO Gears is a transmission and mechanical design engineer.

Mujeeb Ijaz is from A123 Systems Inc., a company that is working on advanced energy storage systems.

There are a lot more on the list, but the team is quite promising, and show that Apple wants more than just iPhones, iPads, and even CarPlay.

Hollywood Life reports that although Apple hasn't said anything about the reports, Apple CEO Tim Cook, in an interview with Steven Colbert, said that “we look at a number of things along the way, and we decide to really put our energies in a few of them,” in reference to the company making driverless cars. This might mean that that functionality might be introduced, albeit at a later time.

The entertainment site adds that as the rumors and news about the EV kept coming and being confirmed, more and more fans are growing excited about the idea.

I hope it comes in a big white box #applecar https://t.co/l0Yitr37tC

— BTSDTechnology (@BTSDTechnology) September 21, 2015

Dear @apple please buy @TeslaMotors then hire me so I can afford the car you make. — Ricky Jenkins (@rickyjenkins) September 21, 2015

The Apple car is scheduled for release in 2019.