Apple job postings give further credence to electric car rumors

Apple’s long-rumored electric car, codenamed Project Titan, appears to be continuing to ramp up, with analytics firm GlobalData finding that the company posted over 300 jobs in 2020 “including key roles that indicate working on battery power management, road safety and car experience.”

All of the 300+ jobs in question were posted by Apple’s Special Projects Group (SPG), which GlobalData describes as “a way through which the company works on innovative projects that can be scaled in the future.” 

“GlobalData’s Job Analytics database shows that Apple made specific job postings that closely relate to developing proprietary software and battery technology. Additionally, with the recruitment of ex-Tesla employees over the past few years, Apple is in a better place than ever to know the best step forward for its ambitious electric cars project,” said Ajay Thalluri, a business fundamentals analyst with the firm.

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A sample of postings, all of which are for positions in the SPG, include:

• Senior power systems engineer for low-voltage power management and distribution systems
• Electromagnetic compatibility design engineer to suppress noise on converters and energy storage applications
• Cell characterization engineer to drive development and realization of innovative and novel lithium-ion batteries
• Safety modeling engineer to survey literature on safety models and be up-to-date on NHTSA, SAE, and other relevant standards
• Motor controls integration and calibration engineer to power electronic systems and motor controls and fault analysis methodologies – FMEA, FTA
• LV power electronics engineer for design and implementation of DCDCs

GlobalData also reported that Apple posted somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 positions related to digital car experience and wireless tech and ecosystem experience that can translate into using Apple devices to unlock vehicles. 

The report is just the latest in the rumors that continue to swirl around Apple’s Project Titan electric vehicle, with some reports placing its release as early as 2024, as reported by TechRepublic sister site CNET’s Roadshow.

According to Roadshow, Apple has also filed patent applications for vehicle suspension systems and other automotive features, though patent filings don’t necessarily translate into actual products. 

Reports out of Korea also indicate that Apple is close to inking a deal with Hyundai to produce Project Titan vehicles, with further rumors pointing to production happening in the United States and the actual work being done by Hyundai subsidiary Kia.  Further rumors also speculate that the 2024 release year would see a production goal of 100,000 vehicles, ramped up to 400,000 annually in subsequent years. 

Hyundai has walked back reports of its involvement in early January, but as of late in the same month, the same time Kia involvement rumors started circulating, Hyundai said it was looking forward to collaborating with foreign firms on self-driving and electric vehicles, though Apple wasn’t mentioned by name.

Combine those rumors with a slew of automotive-related job postings and you have the distinct possibility that the Apple car isn’t just alive, but closer to hitting the streets than first thought.

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