A new report claims Apple is in talks with a US electric vehicle firm, believed to be Rivian, in a move that could mean a comeback for the Apple Car but could simply be negotiations over CarPlay.
Apple announced in February 2024 that it had scrapped its Apple Car project. The project had been in development for more than a decade and the Cupertino firm has invested millions into the project before canceling it. Many of the employees who were working on the car moved to Apple’s artificial intelligence division to work on generative AI under AI chief John Giannandrea.
However, according to Digitimes, Apple is considering a partnership with an EV firm. The publication says the firm is Rivian, but there are no further details. It should be noted that even though the report cites supply chain sources, Digitimes says the news is speculation.
If it’s correct, then it’s not clear how recent the news is, or whether the information predates the cancellation. Then the scope of Apple’s investigation is not known either.
Apple and Rivian could actually be in talks for the car maker to finally adopt Apple CarPlay in its vehicles. Rivian currently does not offer support for CarPlay or Android Auto.
Rumors like this should be taken with a grain of your favorite low-sodium seasoning. While DigiTimes has an admirable track record when it comes to supply chain sources, it sometimes comes to the wrong conclusion about what the sources are telling them.