A new round of rumors and speculations has sprouted surrounding the much-postulated Apple Car. Now, fueled by announcements that Hyundai was in talks to manufacture the vehicle, renewed interest in the tech company’s auto-related goings on has been hitting the headlines. Though Hyundai immediately walked back its statements after announcing that it was in talks with Apple, they are once again confirming the project is moving forward via its subsidiary, Kia.

Ever since the first rumblings of “Project Titan” began in 2014, we believed that Apple would focus on the tech side of the vehicle (automation, electrification, software, etc.) and partner with an established automotive company that would focus on the mechanical and manufacturing logistics. This was later supported by reports that the company was testing self-driving technology with Lexus. As if there was a need for any further proof apart from the apparent Kia/Apple partnership that this will in fact be the strategy, there are also reports that Apple has developed a new, cheaper, longer lasting battery that will find its way into the future vehicle.

While many have focused on theorizing what the design of car will look like and how it will mostly likely be revolutionary (and revolutionize the automobile industry for that matter) and unlike anything we’ve ever seen, we believe the most interesting and innovative aspects will likely involve the user experience. Apple, above all, has built its empire by focusing on and heavily controlling the user experience to make everything intuitive, simple to use, and work seamlessly. 

We believe this will be no different for its car. It is unlikely that we will see anything all that extreme design-wise from an Apple Car (other than maybe offering the feeling that it is of a high caliber and quality build) because at the end of the day it still needs four wheels and a place to sit. However, you can almost guarantee that the overall user experience of being in an Apple Car will be unique, relatively stress free, and quite enjoyable. Further, with Apple’s propensity for all its products to sync up flawlessly, it is likely that the vehicle will become an extension of this, creating a quality mobile environment that allows for productivity and play while getting you from point a to point b (especially if the vehicle is or evolves into a fully autonomous vehicle).

This improved user experience will naturally extend to the shopping process as Apple’s retail network could easily accommodate adding a vehicle to its educational and experiential repertoire. Even if actual sales and or deliveries were to take place at a local, partnering Kia dealership, the vehicle would have mass exposure to consumers via Apple’s existing worldwide retail network. This would provide the same exposure advantage that Tesla has via its showroom network, but at a much lower cost to Apple and with a much quicker roll out rate due to its preexisting locations. 

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