It’s no secret that Apple is looking to get into the self-driving car game, with its test vehicles having recently been spotted on Californian roads.
With billions in the bank though, it’s been asked why the Cupertino company wouldn’t just buy its way into the market with a major acquisition rather than starting from the ground up with its own efforts?
To this affect, Tesla has repeatedly been tipped as the brand of Apple’s affections. According to the car company’s founder and owner Elon Musk, however, no such deal is on the table.
“Yeah, I don’t think they want to have that conversation,” Musk is quoted by IBTimes as having stated. “At least I’ve not heard any indication that they do.”
Related: Uber pulls its self-driving cars from the road after crash
He added: “Obviously Apple continues to make some great products and, yeah, I mean, I use their phone and their laptop, it’s cool. I mean, I don’t know what else to say.”
He’s previously suggested that an acquisition would be detrimental rather than beneficial to Tesla’s development process.
“I’d be very concerned in any kind of acquisition scenario, whoever it is, that we would become distracted from that task which has always been the driving goal of Tesla.”
Last month Tesla made its brilliant Model S more accessible to the masses by knocking 10% of the vehicle’s asking price.
A discount of around $7,500, the move made the Model S 75 significantly the cheapest motor in Tesla’s fleet.
WATCH: iPhone 8
Would you buy an iCar or should Apple stick to phones? Have your say in the comments below.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
