The task is not going to be easy, but Apple is the one company that can pull off this feat and surprise the market.

Apple has reinvented itself several times in the past from the days of the Apple Macs and PowerBooks to the IPad and the IPhone.

The company also has huge financial reserves (reported at $178 billion) that it wants to invest.

The manufacture of an electric car is logical as the car of the future is mostly about connectivity and electronics and Apple excels in both.

There are no emission issues to contend with and an Apple car can be as much an accessory for young people as an IPhone 6 is now.

Tesla’s success as a startup car company has shown that the traditional barriers of entry into the auto industry aren’t as difficult to overcome as before.

At the same time, automakers have struggled to bring technical leaps to car development, something that Silicon Valley is also seeking to accomplish.

For example, Google Inc. has invested in developing an autonomous vehicle since 2010.

The signs are clear that Apple is serious about this project.

About 200-member team are said to be working on the car project in secrecy; Apple has been poaching employees of a battery-technology factory in the past couple of months; and the company is said to be developing a large-scale battery division to compete with the best in the market.

Tesla complained that Apple is offering its employees up to 60 percent salary increase and $250,000 signing bonuses.

Until recently, carmakers have been complacent about competition from Apple.
Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche recently dismissed the idea of Apple competing in making cars and said that he thinks Apple is just developing car models in order to see how technology is being used in future cars.

Mr. Zetsche, think again!

(Arab News)