It appears that, contrary to some rumors and speculation, Faraday Future is not Apple in disguise.
In recent weeks Faraday has hired a former Toyota executive to lead exterior design, while the Nevada treasurer began to question how the upstart electric carmaker will finance a $1 billion factory and deliver on its promise to help turn Nevada into an electric-vehicle production hub. (Tesla, of course, is building its Gigafactory there.)
Nevada has reason to be concerned, because the state has promised tax benefits and infrastructure improvements. Faraday’s failure would be a giant gambling loss for Nevada, a possibility that would seem less likely if Apple had control of the reins.
The Apple plan, meanwhile, seems to be delayed.
Rumors of an Apple car have swirled for years, but there’s been no official word from anyone in Cupertino. Potential launch dates of 2019 and 2020 have both been mentioned, along with increasingly positive signs that Apple will indeed add an automobile to its list of tech-laden products.
It seems the tech giant is suffering some setbacks, though, with the anticipated Apple Car’s development, and its launch now could be pushed back to at least 2021.
The Apple car project has obtained the internal code name of Project Titan and would ultimately lead to a vehicle with an electric powertrain and autonomous driving capabilities.
Engadget says,
This new target date reportedly comes from an employee who was only briefly working with the Project Titan team — though during their time on the project, the delivery goal was apparently pushed from 2020 to 2021.
Other reports that hint at the Apple car’s reality say that Bob Mansfield has been retained on staff to lead Project Titan. Mansfield is credited with bringing many iconic Apple products to market, ranging from the iMac to the Apple Watch. His team is filling up with executives and engineers from other carmakers, including Tesla’s former VP of vehicle engineering.
When, or if, an Apple car will ever hit the road remains a mystery. We’re pretty sure Faraday isn’t an Apple cover, and now we just need someone in Cupertino to speak up and confirm what is becoming the most poorly kept secret in the auto world.
Would you be interested in an Apple car, considering the company has never built a vehicle?
-tgriffith
Find Certified Pre-Owned Cars and Used Cars in your area at CarGurus.
Apple rarely, if ever, pre-announces anything that doesn’t need regulatory approval. When/If they get to the point that plans and specs have to be given to the government, then they might announce a car. Until then, it’s all speculation and rumor.