Does Apple truly intend to enter the car industry?
Apple Has Around 250 Car-Related Patents, Report Say
According to a study by Japanese news site Nikkei and Tokyo analytics company Intellectual Property Landscape, the tech giant holds a total of 248 automobile-related patents since 2000.
This information leads to the most important question: Is Apple car really happening?
Although we cannot be certain, let's first discuss the sort of patents that Apple has applied for, as this might provide us some clues.
What Are Patents Used For?
There are now eight car-related patents from 2021 that Apple has published; however, more patents should be awarded later this year, according to Mac Rumors. It takes about 18 months for Apple's patent application to be published after it is published. Meanwhile, it is anticipated that the iPhone maker will publish more patents in 2021 than it did in 2020.
These patents cover a wide range, including self-driving technology, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) connectivity for inter-vehicle communication, ride comfort, seats, suspensions, navigation, and more.
Mac Rumors pointed out that the several car-related patents Apple has filed for windows, seats, suspension, and other actual automobile parts support rumors that the company may introduce a vehicle rather than only concentrating on autonomous driving software.
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Apple Recently Hires a Ford Veteran
As we previously reported in May, Ford veteran Desi Ujkashevic has been hired by Apple to help with the Apple Car project. Since 1991, Ujkashevic has worked at Ford, most recently in the position of global director of automobile safety engineering.
The most well-known Ford vehicles that Ujkashevic worked on are the Escape, Explorer, Fiesta, and Focus. Additionally, she worked on the Lincoln MKC and Aviator projects and Ford's entry into the electric vehicle market.
According to her LinkedIn profile (citing TechCrunch), Ujkashevic has also worked on automotive exteriors, interiors, and chassis components.
It is worth noting that six years ago, the tech giant also hired an executive from another car manufacturer.
A former vice-president of Tesla named Chris Porritt joined Apple in 2016. Porritt worked as a chief engineer for Aston Martin before joining Tesla, where he was a member of the team that created the DB9, V12 Zagato, and One-77 supercars.
A few months after Steve Zadesky, who oversaw Apple's automotive division known as "Project Titan," left the tech company, the iPhone maker recruited Porrit.
Zadesky reportedly left Apple in September 2015 after being requested to triple the size of his team that focused on the automotive sector. This notice was said to be sent after the division fell short of Apple's expectations.
In a separate Mac Rumors report, it was noted that around 1,000 auto experts and engineers have been working on "Project Titan" at a covert site close to Apple's Cupertino headquarters since the year 2014.
Due to internal conflict and leadership concerns, the Apple Car project has evolved and shifted numerous times over the past few years, although development is still on track.
