Apple Automotive history

There is Ive’s BFF Marc Newson, who worked with Ive on the Apple Watch, and previously created the Ford O21C concept car for the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show.

But by 1999 he began moving Apple beyond being a PC company with the iPod and started Apple down a new path that eventually birthed their services business.

Apple got a great partner in Foxconn when they launched the iPhone in 2007 but had to invent some of the manufacturing equipment and processes for Foxconn to make these products.

2008 - In order to better serve its customers, Apple built a cutting-edge car wash/detailing facility within the Auto Park.

These all came after Apple reportedly bid for Tesla back in 2013, before Project Titan is believed to have started.

2014 — An electric car project, codenamed 'Titan' allegedly gets the green light from Apple CEO Tim Cook.

In 2014, Apple debuted CarPlay: its in-car infotainment systems for third-party manufacturers; allowing drivers to use Apple’s Music, Maps, Messages, and Mail apps with a familiar iOS interface.

2015 — Apple is reported to have hired a new employee for the project, along with meetings with self-driving car experts and GoMentum Station, a California-based autonomous vehicle testing site.

Because, of course, the traditional auto industry has been so thoroughly disrupted and invalidated over the past decade that it sold a mere 84 million vehicles since 2015 in the US alone.

Then, in 2015, reports came out that Tim Cook had met with BMW the previous year, toured the German firm's manufacturing facility, and shown particular interest in the i3 electric car.

2016 - Apple purchased Hakes Auto Body, located near Hallam, PA.

2016 also saw Apple convince Bob Mansfield, a former senior vice president who served under Steve Jobs, to return from retirement and take control of Project Titan.

Having still not spoken in public about its automotive plans, in mid-2017 Apple gained permits to test autonomous vehicles on public streets in California.

2018 — Apple registers 27 self-driving cars with the California Department of Motor Vehicles.

2018 - Apple purchased York Collision Center, and immediately completed a facility expansion and overhaul to bring it up to Apple Automotive specifications.

The start of 2018 saw Apple register 27 self-driving vehicles with the California DMV, making use of the permits it was granted the previous year.

2018 saw the revival of an earlier rumor concerning the production of autonomous shuttle buses for Apple employees.

Apple has stated that it hopes 24 million cars will be sporting its dashboard system by 2019.

The end goal for Project Titan was still unknown at this point, and 2019 began with reports of 190 members of the team being laid off by Apple.

And while its titanic market cap makes that effort look successful, in terms of manufacturing it has meant that Tesla has taken 17 years to sell as many vehicles in all of 2020 as GM sold in the US in the past two months.

Hopefully the picture will become even clearer through 2021, and perhaps Hyundai's apparent misstep in announcing its Apple tie-in will lead to more information arriving soon.