After a Reuters report that Apple had revived Project Titan — AKA the ‘Apple Car’ — Tesla CEO Elon Musk decided to share an interesting bit of insider information to share. Apparently, “during the darkest days” of developing the Model 3, Musk reached out to Tim Cook to discuss Apple buying Tesla.
Cook reportedly refused.
During the darkest days of the Model 3 program, I reached out to Tim Cook to discuss the possibility of Apple acquiring Tesla (for 1/10 of our current value). He refused to take the meeting.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 22, 2020
It’s surprising that Cook would refuse to even meet, given Apple has been hard at work on self-driving AI for years. Musk’s comments also seem to dispel any likelihood Apple would collaborate on self-driving tech with Tesla as well; rumors indicated there’s a chance Apple might sell or license its technology rather than come out with a vehicle altogether.
Musk also expressed doubt about claims in the Reuters report that Apple is working on a “monocell” battery; he claims it’s “electrochemically impossible,” and suggested the tech might instead be closer to Tesla’s structural battery pack the company discussed on ‘Battery Day.’
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Still, a lot could change between now and Apple’s rumored 2024 goal. In any case, it’s interesting to know that in an alternate timeline, Tesla — which has often been called “the Apple of cars” — could have actually been owned by Apple.
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