Rumor claims new electric car maker Faraday Future is front for Apple
A mysterious electric car maker called Faraday Future -- backed by large resources -- could be a front for Apple, a report speculated on Friday.
The company only began operating out of a former Nissan research facility in California last year, but already has over 400 workers, and is aiming to have 500 by the end of 2015, news.com.au said. Some of the staff include the head designer of the BMW i8, a SpaceX battery specialist, and a former interior designer for Ferrari. Others have resumes with employers like Facebook, Google, Ford, General Motors, and Volvo.
Unusually, Faraday has refused to disclose the name of its CEO. Its de facto spokesman has been Nick Sampson, a senior VP who previously served as the director of vehicle and chassis engineering for Tesla.
The company is planning to spend $1 billion on a manufacturing plant in California, Nevada, Georgia, or Louisiana, and on top of selling cars the company has claimed it "plans to explore other aspects of the automotive and technology industries, including unique ownership and usage models, in-vehicle content and autonomous driving."
Its first vehicle is slated for 2017 and will allegedly have a battery with 15 percent more range than the Tesla Model S 85kW-hr, or about 310 miles. Other than that, only a concept render of the vehicle has been produced.
Faraday has so far refused to say where its vast cash resources have come from. "We are keeping our partners confidential," the company told the Wall Street Journal.
The fact that Faraday has already teased a car may count against an Apple connection, but the kinds of hires the company has picked up are consistent with those attributed to Apple's electric car project. Apple has expressed a particular interest in BMW's i-series vehicles.
Moreover, the iPhone maker might need to finance a front company as big as Faraday in order to prepare for the launch of a self-branded vehicle in 2019 or 2020. It's difficult to conceal the labor and manufacturing resources a car requires, and indeed numerous leaks have led car manufacturers like Tesla to publicly assume Apple has a car in development.
The company only began operating out of a former Nissan research facility in California last year, but already has over 400 workers, and is aiming to have 500 by the end of 2015, news.com.au said. Some of the staff include the head designer of the BMW i8, a SpaceX battery specialist, and a former interior designer for Ferrari. Others have resumes with employers like Facebook, Google, Ford, General Motors, and Volvo.
Unusually, Faraday has refused to disclose the name of its CEO. Its de facto spokesman has been Nick Sampson, a senior VP who previously served as the director of vehicle and chassis engineering for Tesla.
The company is planning to spend $1 billion on a manufacturing plant in California, Nevada, Georgia, or Louisiana, and on top of selling cars the company has claimed it "plans to explore other aspects of the automotive and technology industries, including unique ownership and usage models, in-vehicle content and autonomous driving."
Its first vehicle is slated for 2017 and will allegedly have a battery with 15 percent more range than the Tesla Model S 85kW-hr, or about 310 miles. Other than that, only a concept render of the vehicle has been produced.
Faraday has so far refused to say where its vast cash resources have come from. "We are keeping our partners confidential," the company told the Wall Street Journal.
The fact that Faraday has already teased a car may count against an Apple connection, but the kinds of hires the company has picked up are consistent with those attributed to Apple's electric car project. Apple has expressed a particular interest in BMW's i-series vehicles.
Moreover, the iPhone maker might need to finance a front company as big as Faraday in order to prepare for the launch of a self-branded vehicle in 2019 or 2020. It's difficult to conceal the labor and manufacturing resources a car requires, and indeed numerous leaks have led car manufacturers like Tesla to publicly assume Apple has a car in development.
Comments
Thanks WhiteFalcon
LA Times is reporting that papers filed with the state of CA shows the owner to be a Chinese billionaire.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-jia-yueting-explainer-20151106-htmlstory.html
http://www.autoblog.com/2015/08/26/le-supercar-chinas-tesla/
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-jia-yueting-explainer-20151106-htmlstory.html
http://www.autoblog.com/2015/08/26/le-supercar-chinas-tesla/
Since being a front, means, well not really what it purports to be. Not sure how any current news would even invalidate this rumor.
Maybe he floated this to boost his own valuation
That guys seems full of himself in a way not even Jobs would want to emulate....
I'm going out on a limb and to say this has nothing to do with Apple. It's just a planted rumour to generate hype for a car which may or may not materialise and will very likely not ship on time either given the many complexities in building and selling a real car.
Apple has gone to some great lengths to conceal this one.
If so it is genius to name the company Faraday. I thought only the Chinese or Koreans could so blatantly copy the name used by Tesla with another historically famous electromagnetic scientist's name.
Apple is a Chinese billionaire
Funny how Silicon Valley is the new Detroit, at least in terms of design.
Actually most of the top California auto design studios are in southern California near LA. Many car companies from around the world use SoCal auto designers. Also motorcycles.
Interesting. When did that change.
Actually most of the top California auto design studios are in southern California near LA. Many car companies from around the world use SoCal auto designers. Also motorcycles.
Yep. most major car companies have studios here.
Stop the madness!
This looks like one of those stupid Apple product mock ups we usually get from graphic designers. Meaning something completely futuristic and unrealistic.
Interesting. When did that change.
BMW: Designworks USA -- Newbury Park; est. 1972 (wholly owned by BMW since 1995).
DaimlerChrysler: Pacifica Design Center -- Carlsbad (San Diego County); est. 1983.
Ford: California Advanced Product Creation -- Irvine, CA; est. 1984.
General Motors: General Motors Advanced Design, California -- North Hollywood; est. 2000.
Honda Research & Development, Los Angeles Center -- Torrance; est. 1985.
Hyundai & Kia Design and Technical Center -- Irvine; est. 1990 originally in Fountain Valley.
Isuzu Motors America Design -- Cerritos; est. 1984.
Mazda Research & Development -- Irvine; est. 1988.
Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design of North America -- Irvine; est. 1990.
Mitsubishi Research & Design of North America -- Cypress; est. 1984.
Nissan Design America -- La Jolla (San Diego County); est. 1979.
Toyota: Calty Design Research -- Newport Beach, CA; est. 1972.
Calty was the first design studio of a major automaker in Southern California.
Volkswagen/Audi Design Center California -- Santa Monica; est. 1991 originally in Simi Valley.
Volvo Monitoring & Concept Center -- Camarillo; est. 1986.
There are quite a few private companies that do contract design work for major car companies.
Mostly the car companies associate auto design with LA as they have a strong custom automotive culture and have numerous after market tuner type businesses.
LA Times is reporting that papers filed with the state of CA shows the owner to be a Chinese billionaire.
That seems like a far more likely answer than Apple. Apple need not form another company for their purposes and they'll keep everything under wraps as long as possible until they're convinced they have a viable product. They certainly would not be floating concept cars in any form at this point.