Apple killed its ‘Apple Car’ last month after years of broken promises and while the world has never seen an actual photo, but new details reveal what it could’ve been.
The features were shared by a reliable industry expert who suggested the vehicle would’ve been a futuristic-looking microbus with a ‘private jet’ interior.
Mark Gurman, an Apple tipster, mentioned the van-like car would boast an all-white exterior, self-driving capabilities and a giant screen inside for FaceTime calls, watching videos and scrolling through apps – much like the iPhone.
Experts had predicted the world could see the Apple Car by 2028, but then scrapped after an internal memo was circulated to around 2,000 company employees in February.
The Apple car would have reportedly looked like a futuristic van, which is similar to a Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle (pictured)
The new version of the vehicle reportedly had gull-wing doors like on a Tesla Model X (pictured)
One version of the Apple Car had an iPad-like feature
Apple had never officially confirmed when consumers could expect the vehicle to be released, but it announced that it was abandoning the highly anticipated project after a decade in the works.
The company first started engineering the Apple Car in 2014 as part of its so-called Project Titan amid reports that Apple had its sights set on building EVs since 2013.
While the world has yet to see an actual picture of the tech giant’s car, and it may never get one, Gurman provided his thoughts on what features it would’ve had.
Alongside the vehicle’s white interior are whitewall tires with a black center and it appeared to have the same front and back end, looking like something out of a futuristic, dystopian movie.
According to Gurman, author of the Power Up newsletter, the Apple Car’s appearance has changed several times but reportedly was always intended to have a minimalist appearance.
The interior would be laid out like a limousine or private jet, making passengers feel like they are in a ‘contoured bubble’ that fit four people comfortably.
And the seats would’ve feature foot rests and reclining options.
While Gurman was sure the vehicle would feature a center screen, he went back and forth between one that was the size of a TV or an iPad.
The Apple car went through several reported versions including one resembling a 1950s Volkswagen. Pictured is a Canoo electric vehicle
Apple was said to have developed a unique air conditioning system that pushed air along the sides of the cabin – similar to that in airplanes.
Gurman reported that other versions of the Apple Car included one that looked like a 1950s Volkswagen microbus and another that looked almost identical to the 2017 Volkswagon ID Buzz prototype.
The last design Apple created was a variation from the microbus idea, adding wing-like doors similar to Tesla’s Model X instead of sliding van doors.
It also reportedly switched from a Level 5 vehicle – meaning it was completely autonomous – down to a Level 2, requiring Apple to add a steering wheel, pedals, and a front and back window.
For years, Apple CEO Tim Cook has been hesitant to confirm that the company was working on the Apple Car, despite reports that he had hired a team of automotive specialists back in 2014 and 2015.
‘There are products that we’re working on that no one knows about; that haven’t been rumored about yet,’ Cook told The Wall Street Journal at the time.
People familiar with the matter had told the outlet that Cook approved Project Titan a year earlier and then-product design Vice President Steve Zadesky was assigned to lead the group.
The Journal reported that Apple is known to create numerous prototypes for products it will never sell, but said the project team’s size and the number of senior people involved showed that the company was serious about the vehicle.
Roughly 2,000 employees were working on the car when Apple decided to cancel the project, reassigning many to its generative AI team, sending some to other internal divisions, or laying off staff.
