The Apple Car was once one of the most anticipated Apple products of all time. Rumors about the Apple electric car project, which had been in secrecy for a decade, made headlines in tech publications and on his Apple blog.
And just a few weeks ago, Apple announced the following news: officially killed A project known as “Project Titan”. The Apple Car will be gone.
now, bloombergApple insider Mark Gurman shares some very interesting details about what the Apple Car looked like. And, dear reader, it's not what you imagined.
Apple EV car dies: 5 reasons why the rumored project was canceled
Apple was working on a minivan.
Consider what the EV that Apple made looked like. Thinking about Tesla's potential competitors? Maybe a sleek, sexy sports car?
That's wrong.
According to a report, Apple was working on a minivan. bloombergIt is a gourmand.
Garman said the Apple Car went through several design iterations during its 10 years of development. But all of them are heavily influenced by the automaker's long-standing minivan designs.
volkswagen type 2
Credit: Sjoerd van der Wal/Getty Images
The original concept for the Apple Car was created by Jony Ive, the company's iconic designer who left Apple in 2019. The Apple Car design was internally known as the “Bread Loaf.” why? That's because it looked like a “modern incarnation” of the 1950s Volkswagen Microbus.
Even if you're not familiar with the Volkswagen Microbus, also known as the VW Type 2, VW Camper, or Vanagon, you almost certainly know what it looks like. This is a VW van commonly depicted as being driven by 60's hippies and touring rock bands from that era. This is the yellow van used in his 2006 film Little Miss Sunshine, starring Steve Carell, Abigail Breslin, and Toni Collette.
Design inspired by Volkswagen camper
Later versions of the Apple Car underwent some design changes, but the classic Volkswagen minivan-inspired aesthetic remained.
Garman said the design of the second Apple Car looked “nearly identical” to the 2017 Volkswagen ID Buzz prototype. This electric concept car also takes inspiration from VW's Microbus, with a more modern design and sloping bonnet. Interestingly, Garman says his Apple Car design was conceived before Volkswagen unveiled his 2017 prototype.
2017 Volkswagen ID Buzz Prototype
Credit: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg, Getty Images
The Apple Car went through several more minor changes over the years until arriving at the latest design concept starting in 2020. According to Garman, that last Apple Car design resembled a vehicle from California-based electric car company Canoo.
The last version of the Apple Car resembled the Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle, which Garman described as a “futuristic van with rounded edges.” When you look at the Canoo EV, it certainly looks like what you'd imagine an Apple minivan to be. The front and back of the vehicle looked exactly the same, so the Apple Car would have always looked like it was driving forward.
Canoe lifestyle vehicle.
Credit: Canoe
One of the final design changes to this version of the Apple Car was to replace the sliding doors commonly found in minivans with gullwing doors.
For the interior, Apple was aiming for a minimalist design with an emphasis on space for the vehicle's occupants. This could include a TV or iPad for FaceTime and video playback, a special air conditioning system that channels air from the side of the vehicle, and a jet-like reclining seating design with rotating front seats. did.
Garman's report said Apple executives, including CEO Tim Cook, were big fans of the last design. But ultimately, the company decided to discontinue development of his Apple Car. And all we're left with are these reports of what could have been.
