These Are the Tech Giants Building Their Own Cars

In its turn, the technology that automakers out there need so much wouldn’t be possible without the companies investing millions of dollars in making it happen. And some of these companies rapidly noticed an opportunity that most aren’t willing to ignore.

Building cars is no longer exclusive to traditional automakers, and it’s this increased commitment to technology, the one that’s fueling a transformation nobody would have predicted a decade ago.

Tech companies themselves are now spending big on automotive R&D, as they’re no longer willing to just build the software and services supposed to power cars built by others. They want their own cars running on their own software.

In theory, their biggest advantage is, without a doubt, the technological know-how. They have the resources to develop capabilities powered by systems traditional carmakers wouldn’t be able to design on their own. On the other hand, tech firms have little to no knowledge of what producing a car means.

This is why they’re all trying different approaches whose outcome is hard to anticipate.

Apple

Without a doubt, the biggest name in the tech industry that’s now exploring a debut in the automotive market is Apple. The iPhone maker is already working on the Apple Car, and if we are to trust all the rumors fueled by people familiar with the matter, the vehicle should be here by 2025, at the earliest.

Codenamed Project Titan, the Apple Car is supposed to be a self-driving EV with a huge focus on technology. But as said earlier, Apple is now struggling to find someone to build the car, and after failed talks with a series of traditional carmakers, including Hyundai and others, the Cupertino-based firm is now seeking a deal with a contract manufacturer.

A joint venture between Magna and LG is likely to eventually build the Apple Car, with a prototype expected in 2023.

Apple has never confirmed its car project, but on the other hand, it’s believed CEO Tim Cook considers it a top-priority product. In other words, while there’s a chance Apple would give up on the idea overnight, this is very unlikely to happen.

Xiaomi

As a long-time Apple rival in the mobile business, Xiaomi aims to compete against the iPhone maker in the automotive business.

But as compared to Apple, Xiaomi has already confirmed its automotive ambitions. The company wants to invest no less than $10 billion in an EV unit supposed to bring a Xiaomi car to the market by 2024.

Xiaomi is also expected to bet big on technology for its first car, but the company has one big advantage: it’s likely to work together with a Chinese carmaker for the production of the vehicle.

So while Apple is still struggling to find a partner on this front, Xiaomi benefits from its strong ties with Chinese carmakers, who are willing to provide not only the know-how to make it happen but also the production resources an inexperienced player in this side of the market would need.

Xiaomi is likely to also present a prototype of its car either in 2022 or in 2023, with the launch expected in 2024.

Huawei

While Apple and Xiaomi are building their own cars, Huawei is trying a different approach.

First of all, it’s the one the company has already confirmed. Huawei wants to be in charge of developing the software and services for new-generation cars, so at first glance, it’s not necessarily interested in building its own vehicle.

The company has already worked together with Chinese automakers for such projects. Living proof is the recently released Aito M5, which runs on Huawei’s Harmony OS and uses technology developed by the tech company.

Second of all, it’s believed Huawei is also eyeing an in-house-built vehicle that would compete against the Apple Car. The company, however, has one big problem. Due to the U.S. sanctions announced in mid-May 2019, Huawei’s international push has declined substantially, so building an Apple Car rival that would be available beyond the borders of China is ambitious, to say the least.

Just like Apple, Huawei has also remained tight-lipped on a potential plan to build a full car.

Sony

Joining Xiaomi in the group of tech firms that have already confirmed their automotive expansion is none other than Sony, the maker of the famous PlayStation console.

Sony joined this year’s CES with a concept that many believe could see the daylight in production form at some point in 2024, once again with a major focus on technology.

Sony, on the other hand, is hitting the same roadblock as Apple, as it’s trying to find a partner to manufacture its vehicle.

This is going to be quite a challenge, especially because Sony is unlikely to end up working with a traditional carmaker. Its current concepts have been built by Magna.

Google, OPPO, and others

You’d normally expect Google to be eyeing a similar strategy as well, but the search giant wants to stick with what it does best. The company is therefore sticking with services, as it hopes that Android Auto and Android Automotive will end up making their way to more and more cars out there.

Google’s winning card here is rather simple. Android Automotive comes with deep integration of Google services, and we all know what this means for the company.

OPPO is currently one of the largest phone makers in the world, and unsurprisingly, it’s believed it’s also considering a car of its own. Sources with knowledge of these plans revealed that the CEO of the company himself wants to be in charge of an EV project scheduled to see daylight in the second half of the decade. The development, however, is still in its early days.