VW CEO welcomes Apple Car competition

Tim Cook
Tim Cook (Image credit: Apple)

What you need to know

  • The CEO of Volkswagen has welcomed reports that Apple may release a car of its own in the future.
  • Herbert Diess said in a LinkedIn post that Apple's "virtually unlimited" resources would accelerate the transformation of the industry.

The CEO of Volkswagen has welcomed reports Apple could release a car in the future, saying it will help to accelerate the transformation of the industry.

Herbert Diess responded to talk of an Apple Car in a LinkedIn post, where he was asked about Apple's project Titan, citing an article regarding reports Apple will release an autonomous car in 2024 with breakthrough battery technology. Diess responded:

We are looking forward to new competitors who will certainly accelerate the transformation of our industry and bring in new skills. The incredible evaluation and thus the virtually unlimited access to resources inspire us a great deal of respect. A real challenge - dimensions greater than those within our industry (e.B. Toyota Motor Corporation ) As I have already said, the most valuable company in the world will once again be a mobility company - it Tesla can, Apple or may be Volkswagen AG called. (Translated)

It was reported Monday that Apple may release its own self-driving car as soon as 2024 with breakthrough "monocell" battery technology for longer range and better safety.

The news was followed by more surprising reports that Elon Musk reportedly offered to sell Tesla to Apple for around one-tenth of its current market value last year during "the darkest days of the Model 3 program", Musk says that Tim Cook refused to take a meeting about the potential deal.

Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design.

Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9