Shubham Sawarkar
Apple reportedly hired Luigi Taraborrelli, a 20-year veteran of Lamborghini, for the Apple Car project (via Automotive News).
According to his LinkedIn profile, Taraborrelli has been the R&D head of Lamborghini’s chassis and vehicle dynamics since 2008. He worked on the Urus, several Huracan and Aventador versions, as well as limited-edition cars like the Centenario and Veneno.
There were numerous stories in 2021 claiming that Apple was looking for a partner to manufacture their car. Hyundai stated that talks between the companies were ongoing, but the agreement reportedly failed because the South Korean automaker wanted to be more than just the vehicle’s contract manufacturer.
Nissan was then contacted by Apple to create the vehicle. The relationship, however, failed for the same reason as the Hyundai agreement did. The Japanese automaker refused to produce vehicles with the Apple logo.
Additionally, there were rumors of negotiations with Toyota. Evidently, that collaboration was also unsuccessful.
Apple apparently decided in September 2021 that it would build the vehicle alone, without participation from companies in the auto industry. According to reports, the tech giant plans to begin building the car in 2024.
According to various rumors, the Apple car may include a steering wheel and pedals or it may be completely autonomous without any physical controls. According to reports, the company is developing an advanced battery for the car.
