Benzinga - by Chris Katje, Benzinga Staff Writer.
Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) almost used Siri for its now-abandoned electric vehicle (EV) project.
The Cupertino, California-based tech giant also once considered a deal with Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA).
That’s according to a New York Times story highlighting the hardships the Apple EV team went through over the years, before ultimately pulling the plug on the entire initiative.
Apple began working on its car project — code-named Titan — back in 2014. Since then, it has undergone several leadership changes.
One new item that was likely uncovered in the Times report was an initial plan for Apple's car to not have a steering wheel. Instead, Apple cars would be powered by Siri, a digital assistant that powers several other products (i.e., the iPhone) and is used by consumers to search for information.
"Mr. Ive and his team of designers drew concepts for a car that would look like a European minivan such as the Fiat Multipla 600, which has a half-dozen windows and a curving roof. It had no steering wheel and would be controlled using Apple's virtual assistant, Siri," the New York Times wrote, referring to former Apple chief design officer Jony Ive.
Ive and Apple CEO Tim Cook discussed the use of Siri in a meeting in 2015.
"The two men sank into the seats of a cabinlike interior. Outside, a voice actor read from a script of what Siri would say as the men zoomed down the road in the imaginary car. Mr. Ive asked Sir what restaurant they passed and the actor read an answer."
Vehicles without steering wheels are something out of the future and are currently only integrated in some self-driving vehicles that have been approved for roads.
Related Link: Voice Of Siri Didn’t Know Apple Would Use Her: The Unlikely Story Of Woman Heard On 2.2 Billion Devices
Almost Acquired Tesla: The development of its own EV came after Apple tried to buy Tesla in 2013.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in 2020 that he previously "reached out” to Cook to discuss the possibility of Apple’s acquiring Tesla. The discussions occurred during Tesla’s Model 3 development — its "darkest days."
According to the Wall Street Journal, Cook also pitched Musk on the idea of Apple acquiring Tesla in 2016. Talks fell apart after Musk demanded that he be named CEO of the combined entity.
"I'm CEO," Musk said.
"F*** You," Cook reportedly answered before hanging up the phone.
Cook and Musk have denied the phone call and the ultimatum happened. Musk said that he did request a meeting with Cook to discuss a potential buyout, but Cook refused to meet.
A biography on Musk also previously revealed that Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL) almost acquired Tesla in 2013. The deal, which included $6 billion for the company and $5 billion for capital to expand factories, eventually fell through.
With Tesla now having a market capitalization of $637 billion, a buyout by Apple seems less likely. Whether the tech giant looks to acquire an existing EV company like Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN) to gain a foothold in the growing market remains to be seen.
Read Next: Tesla Q4 Earnings Highlights: Revenue Miss, EPS Miss, Model Y A Global Bestseller, Next-Gen Vehicle Update And More
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