Fiat Chrysler Open to Working With Apple as VW Seeks Other Partners

Apple-car-silhouetteFiat Chrysler Automobiles is in the late stage of talks with Google parent company Alphabet Inc. about an industry partnership involving self-driving car technology, according to automotive blog Autoextremist and The Wall Street Journal.

Moreover, Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has reportedly indicated that he is open to working with a tech giant, including Alphabet or Apple, in order to build more scale and help offset automotive-related production and development costs.

On the contrary, Volkswagen CEO Matthias Mueller said that its ongoing discussions with potential partners to start new digital mobility businesses do not involve Apple or Alphabet, as reported by Reuters.

The negotiations follow multiple reports that claim Apple is actively researching and developing an electric vehicle that could enter mass production by 2019 at the earliest. The so-called "Apple Car" team, known as "Project Titan" internally, is believed to include hundreds of employees that previously worked at Ford, General Motors, Land Rover, Tesla Motors, Texas Instruments, and elsewhere.

Apple also reportedly failed to reach manufacturing partnerships with Daimler and BMW.

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Top Rated Comments

mr.steevo Avatar
122 months ago
Aren't Chrysler/Fiat vehicles ranked low for reliability?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
k1121j Avatar
122 months ago
WOW you think VW would be looking for friends these days
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Deasnutz Avatar
122 months ago
WOW you think VW would be looking for friends these days
I don't think anyone wants to be their friend, right now.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dlewis23 Avatar
122 months ago
Fine by me. It'll be less expensive by Fiat Chrysler instead of VW.
And it won't work. FCA is building the most unreliable cars right now.

The car will need a genius to follow you around.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Adithya007 Avatar
122 months ago
It would be a better bet for Apple to seriously step up its iPhone game instead of working on something that they have had no experience at....

Seriously, They're trying to leave that which is in their hands to catch hold of something that which is flying high above their heads.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
routine_analyst Avatar
122 months ago
WOW you think VW would be looking for friends these days
Why does VW group -NEED- anything? They own Audi, Bently, Bugatti, Ducati, Lamborghini, Porsche, VW and more ... if anyone might -NEED- anything, it would be a company that has never produced an industrial product that doesn't fit on your desk.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)