The rumor mill is working around the clock when it comes to talking about Apple. The iPhone manufacturer has been named – multiple times – in rumors that indicate that they have scooped up former engineers from Tesla. The media has basically outright confirmed that Apple is building an electric competitor to Tesla and other companies in the electric vehicle industry.
Reuters did their very own investigating and found out the latest on the very behind-the-scenes progress Apple is making. A host of LinkedIn profiles were investigated and revealed that engineers who have worked with electric vehicle charging stations are now working at Apple. Apple declined to comment on the existence of an electric car project or that they had hired engineers to fine comb a new charging method for electric vehicles. The rumors are that the car will also be self-driving.
Could we be seeing Apple enter the energy storage business as well? One of the LinkedIn profiles turned out to be Rónán Ó Braonáin, an engineer who used to work for BMW, specialising in electric charging and home energy systems.
Nonetheless, we may soon be seeing an announcement of the intentions to build a car at Apple’s WWDC 2016 conference, although it is unlikely. What can be confirmed is that Apple has been given the go-ahead by North Carolina to turn emissions from landfill waste into electricity. They will be working with Catawba County and will construct a renewable energy facility. They have the lease for 16 years.
They’re also working with solar. Apple recently set up a solar energy branch in their company named Apple Energy LLC. Apple will sell “surplus solar power” on markets across the United States. They will have 521 megawatts of clean energy to part with due to their possession of energy farms.
Apple has also revealed that they currently power 463 Apple stores in 13 countries with renewable energy. This was published in the company’s 2016 Environmental Responsibility Report.
