Apple is working hard on a brand new type of product, if multiple reports from independent sources are to be believed, and it’s something the company has never built before. Now, a new report has emerged that may have uncovered the secret lab where Apple employees are researching this exciting new product.
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Apple fans have probably guessed that the secret lab is connected to Apple’s rumored Apple Car plans. According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Apple’s secret laboratory is based in Berlin, where 15-20 employees with backgrounds in engineering, software, hardware and sales are working on a car that will launch at some point in the future.
These are “relatively young” men and women characterized by “progressive thinking,” according to the report. In addition to building the car, the secret team will also figure out who Apple can cooperate with in Germany, how to tackle regulatory approvals, and they’ll study the competition.
The Apple Car is expected to hit the road in 2019 or 2020, the report goes on to say, but it’s not clear whether the first models will come with self-driving capabilities, as had previously been reported.
The car may be assembled by auto parts maker Magna, which is owned by Austrian-Canadian billionaire Frank Stronach. The company mass produces Minis for BMW and various parts for Mercedes, but it obviously did not comment on the matter. Previous reports speculated that BMW might also be a contender to build Apple’s first vehicle.
Aside from the people working in this secret lab in Berlin, Apple has hired plenty of car experts over the past few years, including former Tesla, Ford and Mercedes-Benz employees.
