[NewsPoster]

Last month, Apple registered three car-related domain names -- apple.car, apple.cars, and apple.auto -- using the MarkMonitor registrar and fueling further speculation on the plans and timetable for a rumored foray into either advanced car augmentation or outright car manufacturing. While there is little firm evidence that Apple actually plans to make a car -- numerous regulatory and federal filings would be required, which the company doesn't appear to have done -- it seems likely that it is researching, and possibly working with a secret partner, on more advanced car technology beyond the existing CarPlay option.

Apart from claims that Apple is building its own car -- a project that would take 10 years or more, unless some kind of major manufacturing breakthrough has been achieved -- more credible reports suggest that Apple is looking into working with existing electric car technology and seeking to improve it, as well as potentially redesigning the fundamental UI of such vehicles. The company has, for many years, been on the forefront of industry-leading battery and power-efficiency technology, and has since 2011 invested heavily in alternative-energy to power its own data centers and other large-scale projects.

Apple's existing CarPlay tech services work mostly as a software overlay onto existing vehicle infotainment systems, but the company has dropped numerous hints that it would like to go further with car system technology. In addition to Apple design chief Sir Jonathan Ive being spotted talking to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the two companies have engaged in a generally-rancorous recruiting war, stealing away employees from each other, and Apple has also recruited numerous engineers from other car and car technology makers.

Speculative design of Apple 'iCar'

Like Google, Apple could be working on developing an autonomous driving system that could be used to make future vehicles "self-driving." The "Apple Car" project, which has also gone by the codename "Project Titan," is thought to have been underway for some time, possibly before Tim Cook became CEO, and some reports claim Apple could be ready to reveal its plans as early as 2019 or 2020 -- and may have acted to secure the domains now only to prevent squatters from extorting money from the company later.

[coffeetime]

Why not. Apple surprised us with the phone before.

[PJL500]

Presumably Apple will register Beater as an appropriate car name - to match their headphones?

[mac_in_tosh]

The hood will be permanently sealed with no replaceable parts inside.

[Steve Wilkinson]

re: "Speculative design of Apple 'iCar'"

Now *there* is an example of a 1st year industrial design student run amok with some 3D software! (Go tell that TAG watch guy.)

[Steve Wilkinson]

I'm really hoping Apple does make an electronic car... we need the competition and innovation. But, I sure hope they aren't mucking with the autonomous car stuff like Google... we need a real car.

[Steve Wilkinson]

^ electric car, that is