Apple is Reportedly Considering a Partnership With Rivian
Though it never spoke publicly about its automotive ambitions, Apple was almost certainly developing a car before reportedly abandoning its work in recent months. We’re now hearing that it might not give up completely, as new reports point to the tech giant partnering with an existing OEM, which in this case appears to be Rivian.
DigiTimes reported that Apple is exploring a partnership with an EV startup, citing “speculation among supply chains.” The company’s years of development work likely yielded valuable knowledge on autonomous vehicles and EV technology, and teaming up with a new but established automaker could bring those discoveries to light without Apple having to go to the trouble of building and selling a car of its own.
While it’s worth noting that this is more speculation built on years of rumors, so it’s unclear what, if anything, could come out of the reports. Rivian has a few big years ahead of it, with the development of the new R2 and R3 vehicles, but its current models have been too expensive to appeal to the general car-buying public.
For Apple, an automotive partnership could be the shot in the arm it needs to bolster revenues as people shy away from annual iPhone upgrades and other products like the Vision Pro remain far too pricey and niche to break into the mainstream. That said, Rivian doesn’t currently even offer Apple CarPlay in its vehicles, so a move to partner with the tech company would represent a significant shift in its in-cabin philosophy and experience.
[Image: Rivian]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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Smart move if the financials work, considering the R3 has way more excitement around it than just about any Tesla product, as Tesla only seems to only excite tech illiterate guys who lost their wives mortgaging their house to buy bored apes.
If Apple does in fact tie up with Rivian Tesla's goose is ultra-cooked.
Apple will eliminate 1 tire and wheel since that is redundant and will make sure the computer system is fruit based and incompatible with anything else.
I really like the Rivian, but no matter what it's payload is, it will be completely weighed down by smugness if they team up with Apple.
I was a computer instructor in a local technical college for some years teaching Windows OS and Micosoft Office. Not long before I retired I purchased a Mac Book Air laptop. It didn't take me long to learn the Apple OS and the first thing I learned was the lousy job Microsoft did ripping off the Apple software. I purchased Microsoft Office for Apple at the time and discovered when Apple upgraded the OS to 64 bit and my 32 bit Office software would no longer run on the laptop, that embedded in the Apple OS was software that could open any Office file and could save any file in Microsoft file format. I have always felt if Apple sold product at PC prices they would put Microsoft out of business. Oh, and I bought my Mac ten years ago and still runs like brand new. Effect on Rivian? Who knows? Based on my experience with their technology, it could be interesting.