We are gathered here today to remember the Apple Car. Rumoured for years, the California company's electric vehicle was set to challenge the likes of the Tesla Cybertruck and more in the EV market, bringing Apple design to the road for the first time. But alas, it is no more.
Reports suggest that, after a decade of R&D, Apple is now winding down its vehicle project, with more than 2000 staff set to move over to the company's AI divison (Apple is heavily rumoured to be going all in on AI as soon as this year). Yep, in other words, the Apple Car is yet another victim of AI.
The Apple Car was one of the worst-kept secrets in tech, and even recently beat well-established carmakers in a survey on what people want to buy as their next set of wheels. And like all unannounced Apple projects, it was subject to countless 3D renders from fans. Unlike the iPhone, where we pretty much know what we're going to get each year, the Apple Car allowed for much more creative licence from digital artists. Here are some of our favourite concepts that'll never see the light of day.
One of the most ubiquitous renders was this by car leasing experts Vanarama. It envisions a steely-grey vehicle that looks like a slightly more rounded version of the aforementioned Cybertruck.
This concept by John Mauriello was created using AI, and takes things in a much sportier direction. It might be nice if that front wheel was touching the ground, though.
The Magic Mouse 2 is widely regarded as one of Apple's biggest design crimes ever, so it's a little strange that this concept by Let's Go Digital seems to have taken inspiration from the accessory. Would we have to turn the car upside-down to charge it?
But this has to be the weirdest design we've seen. Apple Autonomous created a design sporting a 360-degree movable pod for two passengers to sit in – like a giant egg just waiting to hatch.
Alas, none of the above shall ever come to pass. That said, it's not like Apple aficionados have been starved of new products lately. In fact, with the launch of Vision Pro, it's already been a positively fruitful year, and it's only February. As for whether early adopters are choosing to keep their new headset, that's another story.
