WSJ: Apple speeds up electric car project, now targeting 2019 as a prospective shipping date

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Apple’s rumored electric project, code-named Project Titan, has sped up development as the Cupertino company now targets 2019 as a prospective shipping date, The Wall Street Journal said Monday.

In fact, Apple has internally designating the rumored electric vehicle as a “committed project” after it spent more than a year investigating the feasibility of an Apple-branded car, including meetings with two groups of government officials in California.

“Leaders of the project have been given permission to triple the 600-person team,” the people familiar with the matter told the paper.

Interestingly enough, the story claims that Apple is not currently planning on making its first electric vehicle fully autonomous though that capability is purportedly “part of the product’s long-term plans.”

The report follows The Guardian’s story three days ago claiming that the secret electric car is “ready to leave the lab.”

As the project now has an official Engineering Program Manager, Apple is reportedly moving to “coordinate the work of teams of hardware and software engineers,” reported the British newspaper last week.

Apple executive had a meeting last month with officials at California’s department of motor vehicles (DMV) to “review DMV’s autonomous vehicle regulations.”

The Guardian said in another report that Apple leased in secrecy a private facility testing site at GoMentum Station in California to road-test its vehicle.

The iPhone maker has hired several high-profile executives from the auto industry and has apparently met with BMW executives to discuss possible technology and manufacturing cooperation.

Source: The Wall Street Journal