BMW Denies Report of Electric Car Discussions With Apple

German carmaker BMW on Thursday denied that its discussions with Apple involved developing an electric car, according to Reuters. German automotive magazine Auto Motor und Sport reported hours earlier that Apple and BMW were in close negotiations about developing the automaker's all-electric i3 vehicle into a so-called "Apple Car."

"The BMW spokesman said: 'We are in regular talks with companies from the IT and telecommunications sector, including Apple, concerning topics like connected vehicles. Developing or building a car is not a topic of these discussions.'"

siri_eyes_free_bmw
The German report claimed that the electric car could be manufactured by BMW and sold at Apple Stores, with Apple developing a full-fledged operating system for the vehicle that integrates with the car's fuel consumption and driving data. It is plausible that Apple is working to expand its CarPlay efforts on the dashboard, but it remains to be seen how closely integrated the platform will be with future vehicles.

Multiple reports claim that Apple is working on an electric car that is possibly self-driving and could enter production in 2020. Some other reports, however, downplay the rumors by suggesting that Apple is working on expanding its presence in vehicles through CarPlay. Any electric car project at Apple is likely in the early stages of research and development at this time.

Tags: BMW, i3

Popular Stories

ios 18 4 carplay

iOS 18.4 Includes a Small But Useful Change for CarPlay

Sunday February 23, 2025 2:23 pm PST by
The first beta of iOS 18.4 is now available, and it includes a small but useful change for CarPlay. As we noted in our list of iOS 18.4 features, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra, which can be equipped...
prioritize notifications ios 18 4

Everything New in iOS 18.4 Beta 1

Friday February 21, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Apple finally released the first beta of iOS 18.4 to developers for testing purposes, and while the beta is lacking some of the Apple Intelligence features we were hoping for, there are some notable new additions. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Priority Notifications - Apple Intelligence There is a new Priority Notifications feature that can show you your most...
ios 18 4 ambient music

iOS 18.4 Adds New Ambient Music Feature

Friday February 21, 2025 11:06 am PST by
In iOS 18.4, there's a new Ambient Music option that can be added to Control Center. There are four different sound categories, including Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing. Each category can be added to Control Center separately, and tapping one plays a random selection of sounds or music from that particular category. You can't choose what's playing from Control Center, but if...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

Here Are the New Apple Products We're Still Expecting This Spring

Thursday February 20, 2025 5:06 am PST by
Now that Apple has announced its new more affordable iPhone 16e, our thoughts turn to what else we are expecting from the company this spring. There are three product categories that we are definitely expecting to get upgraded before spring has ended. Keep reading to learn what they are. If we're lucky, Apple might make a surprise announcement about a completely new product category. M4...
iPhone 16e Feature

Apple Denies Speculation Surrounding iPhone 16e's Lack of MagSafe

Friday February 21, 2025 8:01 am PST by
Apple has confirmed that its custom-designed C1 modem in the iPhone 16e has nothing to do with the device's lack of MagSafe support, according to Macworld. Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, there was some speculation online about how MagSafe magnets might have interfered with the C1 modem's cellular connectivity performance, and this was considered to be a potential reason for the...
iPhone Fold Vertical Feature

Alleged Display Sizes Leaked for Apple's Book-Style Foldable iPhone

Friday February 21, 2025 2:14 am PST by
Another week, another alleged leak regarding Apple's fabled foldable iPhone. We've been hearing rumors about an iPhone that folds in half for over eight years now. While they have lacked consistency, they do suggest that Apple has tested various prototypes, with the hinge seemingly the biggest challenge Apple has been trying to overcome. Apple wants to eliminate any crease in the screen before...
iCloud Versus UK Key Feature

Apple Pulls Encrypted iCloud Security Feature in UK Amid Government Backdoor Demands

Friday February 21, 2025 7:17 am PST by
Apple has withdrawn its Advanced Data Protection iCloud feature from the United Kingdom following government demands for backdoor access to encrypted user data, according to Bloomberg. The move comes after UK officials secretly ordered Apple to provide unrestricted access to encrypted iCloud content worldwide. Customers who are already using Advanced Data Protection, or ADP, will need to...
Apple iPhone 16e Feature

Apple Announces iPhone 16e With A18 Chip and Apple Intelligence, Pricing Starts at $599

Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:02 am PST by
Apple today introduced the iPhone 16e, its newest entry-level smartphone. The device succeeds the third-generation iPhone SE, which has now been discontinued. The iPhone 16e features a larger 6.1-inch OLED display, up from a 4.7-inch LCD on the iPhone SE. The display has a notch for Face ID, and this means that Apple no longer sells any iPhones with a Touch ID fingerprint button, marking the ...

Top Rated Comments

SpiderDude Avatar
130 months ago
Meh...

I'm guessing BMW is as scared of Apple making a car as Apple is of BMW making a phone.
To those saying Apple moved from the PC industry to the phone industry so cars is OK: c'mon, be serious for a minute.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sickducker Avatar
130 months ago
Uhg look at that dashboard:mad:, I don't understand why car dashboards still have to look like 80's stereo towers. Although car designers are capable of designing nice clean dashboards, they're only used in concept cars.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
subsonix Avatar
130 months ago
Don't get me started on the buttons. BMWs and other german makes tend to have dozens of buttons scattered all over the place that perform various functions. Tesla seems to have taken the right approach. Only two buttons!

The upside of buttons in a car is that they provide tactile feedback, so you can find your way around by fiddling in the center section, and keep your eyes on the road. A touch screen needs you to look at it in order to navigate it.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
whooleytoo Avatar
130 months ago
Forget a BMW-Apple car. I want the Koenigseggeggegeggegg-Apple car.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ciclismo Avatar
130 months ago
The moment I read word BMW I knew it is BS. Why would Apple collaborate with one of the crap-mobile world leader. If Apple would be anything like BMW it would be tiny niche player in the junk phone market. Thanks but no thanks BMW, keep your junk for yourselves! Over engineered and unreliable is the word. Oops both of these terms/words are missing from German vocabulary or mean absolutely opposite of English, well that explains it. LOL

Oh my, you seem rather angry. I've been nothing but happy with all the BMWs I've driven, as have my colleagues - my company has almost a dozen BMWs across 3 countries here in Europe that do on average 40,000km per year, and no-one has had any issues, apart from the odd speeding ticket. But we did have quite a few issues with vehicles from the VW (including Skoda/Audi), let alone the issues my colleagues across the pond in the US had with their US and Japanese cars (which kept being recalled).

----------

In additon people are going to be making adjustments while driving. They need something to happen instantly.
Nobody has the time to dangerously navigate through menus whilst doing 100.

Or 240km/h here on the Autobahn - don't hate us, come visit and join us :cool:
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tummy Avatar
130 months ago
Don't get me started on the buttons. BMWs and other german makes tend to have dozens of buttons scattered all over the place that perform various functions. Tesla seems to have taken the right approach. Only two buttons!
I've owned my i3 for about 7 months and find the minimal dash design refreshing and zen like to drive.

We did cross shop the Model S and the i3 has a good mix of physical buttons which is lacking form the giant touch screen in the Tesla. I can adjust things like volume, temperature, seat heaters, radio presets without taking my eyes off the road, or using the voice controls. At the time Tesla didn't have routing around traffic in the Nav and that was one of the killer features for me, saving a lot of time on my commute. Tesla added that in October 2014 though.

I traded my Mercedes ML63 AMG and don't miss the 6.2L v8, 503 hp, or the 9 MPG.

I think people need to keep in mind that BMW was the first car company to support iPod integration in 2004 (http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2004/06/21iPod-Your-BMW.html). It's not out of the question that BMW and Apple are working together on something.

Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)