Is This Why BMW Didn’t Join The Open Automotive Alliance?
Earlier this week, we reported that Mercedes-Benz had finally joined the Open Automotive Alliance (OAA), a grouping of automotive and technology companies seeking to integrate the Android operating system into cars, leaving its German compatriot BMW as the only major automaker not in the alliance, allegedly due to privacy issues.
It was reported that Apple CEO, Tim Cook, had in 2014 visited BMW’s headquarters to have a look at the i3 electric car. Speculation of a collaboration however, was neither denied nor confirmed.
Apple has never officially confirmed that they are working on a car but industry rumors and staff movements showed otherwise. Apple’s car project is unofficially known as ‘Project Titan’, parked under the ‘Special Projects’ division.
According to German newspaper, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Apple has hired about 20 young and “progressive thinkers” to work in a secret research and development lab in Berlin. This team’s background ranges from software and hardware engineering to sales. Among the new staff Apple has hired includes many from Tesla, the electric vehicle manufacturer (CEO Elon Musk has called Apple “The Tesla Graveyard” due to the poaching of Tesla staff), including Chris Porritt, former Tesla Vice President of Vehicle Engineering and former Aston Martin Chief Engineer responsible for the One-77 supercar, Zagato and DB9.
Other notable Apple recruitment are Doug Betts, former quality control chief at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Paul Furgale, autonomous vehicle researcher, Jamie Carlson, senior engineer at Tesla and Emery Sanford from Ford.
There is no smoke without fire and a company that makes computers and lifestyle gadgets doesn’t hire specialists from the automotive industry to work on a new smartphone or notebook, or place them in Berlin, half a world away from Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino.
This leads to the speculation that Apple is in some way working with BMW on a car. And since the OAA is meant to push a system that rival’s Apple’s own CarPlay, BMW sees it as a conflict of interest and opted not to join.
Due to the German/Europe connection and since Apple doesn’t have a car manufacturing plant, rumor has it that the Apple Car (or whatever it will be called; iCar maybe?) will be manufactured by Austrian company, Magna Steyr which coincidentally contract manufactures for BMW and Mini.
What do you think is the reason why BMW isn’t part of the OAA?
