Over the last couple of weeks renewed rumours have been floating around regarding Apple and the possibility of an iCar. It’s been fun reading the opinions of technology journalists and motor-hacks from all around the globe and their thoughts as to what exactly is going on. Most recent guesses predict that an iCar will be in production within the next 5 years. Even imagining what an iCar would look like is keeping an intrigued smile on my face. While test-driving on the road to Galway over the weekend I had time to gather my own thoughts as to where Apple might be headed.
I do believe that Apple is toying with the idea of an iCar. Reports about Linked-In profiles showing ex-Tesla engineers now employed within Apple does hint that there’s something going on. Or it could just be coincidence. Perhaps we’re being led on a wild-goose chase. Maybe Apple is having fun at our expense. After all they’re partnered with many manufacturers at the moment with their CarPlay connected car user interface – would it make financial sense for them to tip their toe in a market where they currently have good working relationships with their potential competition (who have much more experience in the car trade)? Perhaps some of the ex-Tesla staff has been brought over to Apple to look into further developments in the CarPlay field.
A lot of what I’ve been reading has been directed toward an electric vehicle using lithium ion batteries. I’m not sure if I completely buy into this theory either. I am a fan of Electric Vehicle technology but I have a feeling that a lot more focus is going to go in the direction of hydrogen powered fuel cell technology. Toyota, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Honda and more are working on and improving the delivery of this technology and it’s becoming a very realistic alternative.
My last two phones have been made by Apple (4s & 5c) and neither lithium-ion batteries I’ve had are what I’d call amazing. So if they go down the route of a lithium ion powered vehicle I would hope that they could hold their charge a little longer than my phones.
