Apple canceled its Apple Car project in February 2024 and stopped all internal work on autonomous, electric vehicles. But the company still has its sights set on impacting the EV market, and Rivian could be the avenue for its ambitions, according to rumors out of Taiwan.
DigiTimes reports that Apple is "studying the possibility" of a partnership with Rivian, although this seems to be based on speculation within the supply chain, and what form such a collab would take remains a mystery.
The report notes that a sluggish EV market has left many startups struggling for survival, yet Rivian's delivery vehicle partnership with Amazon remains strong, and could even factor into Apple's interest. From the report:
"A partnership with Rivian might also indirectly involve Amazon, which could open the door to collaboration between Apple and Amazon in generative AI, the sources said."
The report links Apple’s generative AI ambitions with the rumor, tying it to innovations within the EV space such as AI smart voice and driving assistance. It's all very speculative.
Some sort of basic CarPlay integration could be fueling the chatter, and there could be nothing more behind it. It's worth noting that Rivian is also under market pressure to perform during the mass production phase of its latest fleet of midsize R2 and R3 cars, so this rumor could just be part of an attempt to revive shareholder interest. On that basis, it would be wise to quell expectations until other reports corroborate the claim.
