Apple has registered a number of automotive-related domain names, including apple.car, apple.cars and apple.auto which may be related to the company’s electric vehicle project.
It’s widely known that Apple is working on an electric car project, codenamed “Titan”.
The domain names could be related to the company’s Titan project, which MacRumors says “has a secretive team of hundreds working on an electric vehicle with a prospective 2019 or 2020 shipping date.”
A Wall Street Journal report published in September report says that Apple’s electric car could hit the road as soon as 2019.
However, it should be noted that it is also possible that the domain names are related to CarPlay instead. CarPlay allows drivers to access contacts on their iPhones, make calls and listen to voicemails without a driver having to take their hands off the wheel.
Regardless of why the domains were registered, there is still lot of evidence to suggest that Apple has explored and pursued an entry into the auto industry.
It’s likely that one day Apple’s signature logo will be seen on an electric vehicle.
The tech giant reportedly held discussions with a Bay Area testing facility for connected and autonomous vehicles and it met with the California DMV last August to review self-driving vehicle regulations.
Despite not having officially announced an electric vehicle in the works, Apple has been poaching a large number of employees from companies such as GM, Tesla, Nvidia, and Ford.
Sillicon Valley companies have begun to show increasing interest in developing self-driving cars or related technologies. Google has already built a prototype self-driving car.