Apple executive adds to chatter that company is looking to cars

SAN FRANCISCO/DETROIT — Apple just poured more fuel on speculation that it’s working on a car.

Confronted by a shareholder yesterday (May 27) at a rare public forum over where Apple is looking to invest its cash, Mr Jeff Williams, Apple’s senior vice president of operations, seemed to suggest the automotive industry.

“The car is the ultimate mobile device, isn’t it?” Mr Williams said during the Re/code conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Pressed further by Re/code co-founder Walt Mossberg, Mr Williams appeared to pull back a little, addressing the importance of Apple’s in-car information and entertainment system, CarPlay.

“We’re exploring a lot of different markets,” Mr Williams said.

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook has been facing increased pressure to return cash to shareholders. He meanwhile is moving the company into new areas, including smartwatches and mobile payments, as part of a strategy to further mesh users’ lives with Apple’s products and services.

The Cupertino, California-based company has been exploring the development of a car and pushing its team to begin production of an electric vehicle as early as 2020, though it might ultimately halt the program, people familiar with the effort have said.

ICAHN’S INFLUENCE

Apple’s cash pile grew to US$193.5 billion (S$261.5 billion) at the end of March. Facing heat from investors such as Mr Carl Icahn, Apple increased its capital-return program through March 2017 by US$70 billion. The company said it returned more than US$112 billion to investors from August 2012 to March of this year.

Yesterday’s event wasn’t the first time an investor questioned Apple’s future with cars. At Apple’s annual shareholder meeting in March, Mr Cook faced questions about a possible marriage with electric-car maker Tesla Motors. He sidestepped the issue.

“We don’t really have a relationship with Tesla,” he said, pivoting to Apple’s in-car information and entertainment system. “I’d love Tesla to pick up CarPlay. We now have every major auto brand committing to use CarPlay.”

Ms Mary Barra, the Chief Executive Officer of General Motors, said at yesterday’s conference that Chevrolet models will integrate with CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto. BLOOMBERG