For nearly two years, hype surrounding Apple’s clandestine “Project Titan” has bubbled to the top of the automotive charts. The tech giant’s debut in the car world would have serious ramifications inside the transportation industry as well as outside it, but that anticipation was hushed slightly when the brand reportedly laid off dozens of employees and shifted its resources elsewhere.
In this game, though, nothing stays quiet for long.
Not one but two Apple acquisition rumors hit the airwaves on Wednesday, the first of which claimed Apple was in talks to buy supercar manufacturer and data solutions specialist McLaren. McLaren has since denied the reports, but Apple may also be in talks with another company called Lit Motors.
A self-balancing motorcycle startup from San Francisco, Lit Motors is best known for the electric C-1, which uses two single-gimbal gyroscopes to keep itself upright. According to the New York Times, three anonymous sources have come forward confirming the acquisition talks, and Apple has already hired several of Lit Motors’ former engineers.
So instead of scaling down or squashing its automotive aspirations, perhaps Apple is simply refocusing. An Apple-branded two-wheeler akin to the C-1 would certainly make a big splash among young people, and the vehicle’s small size could be the perfect fit for those living in crowded metropolitan areas. Lit Motors says the $24,000 C-1 packs many of the same safety features as a modern car, including a unibody chassis with reinforced doors, seat belts, and multiple airbags.
Digital Trends has reached out to Lit Motors for comment, but the brand did not respond before this story was published. If and when we hear something new, we’ll update this post.
For all your Apple Car rumors and news, keep your browsers locked on our Project Titan roundup.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.