Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, one of the most reliable Apple prognosticators, has leaked specs for the rumored Apple Car.
Apple has been working on the Apple Car, code-named “Project Titan,” for years. The project has alternately been rumored to be a full-fledged car, an OEM AI system and an aftermarket AI system that could be integrated with a range of vehicles. Recently, the evidence has consolidated around Project Titan being a full-fledged car, with Hyundai the likely manufacturer.
Ming-Chi Kuo is well-known in the Apple community for having well-placed sources and a reliable track record regarding his predictions about upcoming Apple products. Kuo has now weighed in on the biggest Apple rumor, providing a possible glimpse of the Apple Car’s specs.
According to 9to5Mac, Kuo “reiterates recent reports that Hyundai will be the key manufacturing partner for the Apple Car, but goes on to say that the vehicle will use the company’s electric car chassis known as E-GMP.”
The use of the E-GMP platform is critical, and provides the bulk of the insight. Unlike Hyundai’s existing platforms, the E-GMP is designed exclusively for battery electric vehicles (BEV). In contrast, the company’s existing platforms — even those used in their hybrid vehicles — were designed primarily for internal combustion drivetrains.
The E-GMP boasts a 300-mile range, fast-charging to 80% capacity in 18 minutes and a top speed of 160 mph, including 0-60 in less than 3.5 seconds.
Kuo’s notes also touch on the manufacturing timeframe:
We predict that Apple will launch the Apple Car in 2025 at the earliest. The new iPhone takes about 18–24 months from initial specification definition to mass production based on experience. Given the longer development time, higher validation requirements, more complicated supply chain management, and very different sales/after-sales service channels for the automobiles, we believe that Apple, which lacks car building experience, is already on a tight schedule if it wants to launch the Apple Car in 2025.
As 9to5Mac points out, those specs are for the “the high-performance model” of the E-GMP chassis. At the same time, Apple knows the stakes involved in entering such a competitive market late in the game. Similarly, the company is known for its high-end hardware, and its penchant for improving on the status quo. Therefore, it’s a safe bet the Apple Car will probably offer the very best the E-GMP platform can provide.