Apple’s self-driving electric car, codenamed Project Titan, is further along than many suspected, reports The Guardian. The publication has obtained documents that show that the Cupertino company is already scouting locations to test the vehicle.
The Guardian’s Mark Harris said the documents were obtained legally under a public records request, and they contain correspondence between Apple engineer Frank Fearon and an employee for top-secret vehicle testing ground GoMentum Station.
“We would… like to get an understanding of timing and availability for the space,” Fearon wrote. “We are hoping to see a presentation on the… testing grounds with a layout, photos, and a description of how the various areas of the grounds could be used.”
GoMentum Station used to be a 2,100-acre naval base near San Francisco, before being turned into a high-security testing ground for autonomous vehicles. Both Mercedes-Benz and Honda have already used the GoMentum campus to test self-driving cars.
Today’s report adds significant weight behind an already heavy narrative that Apple is working on an electric vehicle. The company has recently hired a number of high-profile executives from the auto industry, and is rumored to have met with BMW.
Harris also says The Guardian’s obtained documents confirm that Apple’s automotive team is housed in a low-profile building in Sunnyvale, California. Leased in 2014, the building sits several miles from the iPhone maker’s shiny new Cupertino campus.
Source: The Guardian