Tesla Motors has done a huge amount to bring electric vehicles to a wider section of the population, and now it seems that the world’s most famous technology company might be about to enter into competition with them. Commentators are speculating that Apple is developing an electric car of its own, writes Chris Ciaccia for The Street.
Welcome competition, says Tesla
“As it relates to Apple potentially doing an electric vehicle, we’ve always said that our objective is to accelerate the transition to electric and renewable and sustainable energy,” said Tesla’s communications chief, Ricardo Reyes, in an interview at the company’s headquarters in California.
Where it once looked as though the world’s large automakers would make an aggressive attempt to produce and market electric vehicles, the majority of them have scaled back their plans. It seems like Apple is ready to join the move away from fossil-fuels, and Reyes says that Tesla will be happy to gain an ally in that fight.
“We need people that can do it with us to do this, and if OEM’s [traditional auto manufacturers] aren’t going to do it fast enough, then whoever steps up to the plate, it’s a good thing for us,” he said.
Lack of interest from traditional manufacturers
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has spoken out on the fact that General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler have not done anything to advance their own electric vehicles. The so-called Detroit Three have made minimal efforts to introduce alternative fuel technology in their product range, GM’s Chevrolet Volt is a hybrid vehicle, but Musk believes that major manufacturers could be doing far more. GM did announce that an all-electric Chevy Bolt will be released in 2017.
In other Tesla news, Musk dropped the information that Tesla will release a new product next month, which is not a car. It is thought that the product could be a home battery Musk previously mentioned in February.
Reyes did not comment on the mystery product, apart from saying that Tesla would make an announcement on energy storage.
