Apple registers apple.car, apple.auto and apple.cars domain names

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware
Whether related to CarPlay or the heavily rumored Apple Car, Apple this week registered a trio of automotive-focused domain names, in a move that will surely fuel further speculation about "Project Titan."


Cars driven by Apple executives.


As of Friday, Apple owns the domain names of apple.car, apple.auto, and apple.cars, according to publicly available Whois records. The registrations were first discovered by MacRumors.

Apple, of course, is responsible for CarPlay, an in-car infotainment system currently available on the market.

But it's believed that Apple's automotive ambitions extend well beyond CarPlay, with the company heavily rumored to be working on its own electric vehicle, said to be known internally as "Project Titan."

Apple frequently registers domain names, trademarks, patents and otherwise, whether or not they are ever used by the company. For example, the email address domains@apple.com is associated with nearly 13,000 domain names, while Apple Inc. is associated with nearly 9,000.

AppleInsider exclusively reported earlier this year that the bulk of "Project Titan" development is underway at a secretive facility in Sunnyvale, Calif., known by the code-name "SG5." Evidence suggests that a shell company known as SixtyEight Research may be a cover for Apple to help conceal its true operations at the Sunnyvale garage.

Apple is said to have an internal target ship date of 2019 for its electric car project, but rumors claim the first-generation model won't be a self driving vehicle. The project is said to have 600 people currently working on it, but those in charge have reportedly been given the go-ahead to triple the size of the team to 1,800 personnel.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 47
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Well, that's it then. They're getting into the used car business.
    fotoformatlatifbplostkiwiboltsfan17awilliams87
  • Reply 2 of 47
    Well, that's it then. They're getting into the used car business.
    Will they install aftermarket JVC, Kenwood, or Pioneer head units compatible with CarPlay into their entire stock?  Win Win for everyone...
    edited January 2016
  • Reply 3 of 47
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,851member
    I simply don't see apple.car.com being for in-car entertainment somehow.
    canukstormclock07lostkiwicornchip
  • Reply 4 of 47
    levilevi Posts: 344member
    Still waiting for Shane Cole to concede #coleminer 
  • Reply 5 of 47
    bobschlobbobschlob Posts: 1,074member
    They have to do this simply to keep others (scammers, etc) from obtaining the domains and exploiting them.
  • Reply 6 of 47
    dcgoodcgoo Posts: 284member
    I simply don't see apple.car.com being for in-car entertainment somehow.
    "car" and "cars" are top level domains. No .com required.
    SpamSandwichclock07lostkiwicornchipawilliams87
  • Reply 7 of 47
    irelandireland Posts: 17,800member
    Watch people scramble to still argue why Apple aren't going to make a car.
  • Reply 8 of 47
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    And you can bet the farm that an Apple car will not be powered by hydrocarbon based fuel.
    lostkiwi
  • Reply 9 of 47
    ireland said:
    Watch people scramble to still argue why Apple aren't going to make a car.
    Watch people scramble to say the car market is saturated and we've reached peak car.
    cornchipfreshmaker
  • Reply 10 of 47
    tzmmtztzmmtz Posts: 27member
    600 people with a potential addition of another 1200. Yeah, sure, it's CarPlay. Meaning a car to play with!
    canukstormirelandlostkiwi
  • Reply 11 of 47
    irelandireland Posts: 17,800member
    ireland said:
    Watch people scramble to still argue why Apple aren't going to make a car.
    Watch people scramble to say the car market is saturated and we've reached peak car.
    Apple is d00med.
  • Reply 12 of 47
    canukstormcanukstorm Posts: 2,742member
    tzmmtz said:
    600 people with a potential addition of another 1200. Yeah, sure, it's CarPlay. Meaning a car to play with!
    Let's just hope it doesn't have a starting price tag of $1.6 million like that red Ferrari pictured above. LOL
  • Reply 13 of 47
    dcgoodcgoo Posts: 284member
    lkrupp said:
    And you can bet the farm that an Apple car will not be powered by hydrocarbon based fuel.
    iNergy power
  • Reply 14 of 47
    foggyhillfoggyhill Posts: 4,767member
    bobschlob said:
    They have to do this simply to keep others (scammers, etc) from obtaining the domains and exploiting them.
    Scammers no longer can, with names from established brands like that, you simply can't get them unless you're Apple.
  • Reply 15 of 47
    Apple.car sounds just fine. It would be nice to have a related online platform onto which audience could offer their view on the upcoming Apple Car, given so many people around the globe are very proud owners and highly satisfied users of Apple products and would love to actively contribute to creating sth disruptive, rather than awaiting the finished shell on wheels. Interaction always brings sweet taste, especially on this topic, thier personal vision of sth inevitably bound to come.
  • Reply 16 of 47
    lkrupp said:
    And you can bet the farm that an Apple car will not be powered by hydrocarbon based fuel.
    And you can bet the farm that an Apple car will not be DIRECTLY powered by hydrocarbon based fuel.

    In most countries a lot of the leccy is still producd by at least one of coal/gas/oil hydrocarbons.
    lostkiwi
  • Reply 17 of 47
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    This could be the perfect time for Apple to recycle and repurpose the iPod name. Ride in an iPod!
    cali
  • Reply 18 of 47
    lkrupp said:
    And you can bet the farm that an Apple car will not be powered by hydrocarbon based fuel.
    If it uses electricity, sure, it will be. Less of it compared to an ICE, but it's impossible not to be powered by fossil fuels.
    cornchiptallest skil
  • Reply 19 of 47
    And ... if it looks even remotely like any of those cars in the picture, it will be a complete design failure regardless of sales figures.  
  • Reply 20 of 47
    lkrupp said:
    And you can bet the farm that an Apple car will not be powered by hydrocarbon based fuel.
    If it uses electricity, sure, it will be. Less of it compared to an ICE, but it's impossible not to be powered by fossil fuels.
    Poppycock.  Complete nonsense. 
    calipropodlostkiwi
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