Rumors that Apple is making a car are accelerating

It’s possible that the new lab is working on projects related to CarPlay, Apple’s in-car interface for iOS devices. (Cars with CarPlay installed will begin shipping widely this year after a production delay last year.) But the FT reports that the new lab will likely have a hardware focus:

[People] familiar with the company said the background of the people Apple is hiring — including automotive designers and vehicle dynamics engineers — and the seniority of the executives involved suggest a car could be in the works.

“Three months ago I would have said it was CarPlay,” said one person who has worked closely with Apple for many years, referring to Apple’s infotainment system. “Today I think it’s a car.”

Other reports have discovered that Apple’s R&D team has turned to other luxury car companies for talent as well; they’ve hired former BMW designer Aaron Von Minden, who worked on a shape-shifting car made of fabric, and Julian Hönig, a former designer for Ferrari and Audi.

Of course, guessing at Apple’s product roadmap is often a fool’s errand. (Remember those years of Apple TV set rumors?) But if Apple really does have a secret car project underway, and its supply chain remains as leaky as it’s been in the past, we’ll likely hear about it sooner rather than later.

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