Apple wanted to use BMW i3 as basis for electric car project

By

Apple Car
Tim Cook wanted to use the BMW i3's body for Apple Car.
Photo: BMW

Apple’s been stealing top talent from automakers over the past few months to help it work on the company’s electric car project, but according to a new rumor, Apple wanted to steal the entire body of another luxury automaker’s car to get its project on the road.

Apple was interested in using BMW’s i3 carbon fiber body as the basis for its own electric vehicle, reports Manager Magazin. CEO Tim Cook supposedly met with senior managers from the i3 production team in Leipzig during a fall visit to BMW to discuss the possibility, however, negotiations to use the BMW i3 body have broken off.

While the BMW i3 hasn’t been as revolutionary as Tesla’s electric cars, the German-made car’s carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic body shell has made it the most energy efficient vehicle sold in the U.S. BMW is already selling a higher percentage of plug-in vehicles in the U.S. than any other car maker though, so it’s not hard to see the appeal it’s had for Apple.

It’s unclear whether negotiations between Apple and BMW are still ongoing. The German magazine reports that negotiations were broken off last fall, but the two sides agreed to keep talking and to check in with each other’s views from time to time.

Apple’s electric car project supposedly got the greenlight from Tim Cook last year and the company already has hundreds of employees working on the project.

Via: GreenCarReports

Newsletters

Daily round-ups or a weekly refresher, straight from Cult of Mac to your inbox.

  • The Weekender

    The week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.