Apple iCar ‘Titan’ News & Rumors: CarPlay Feature Supported? Electric Minivan to Rival Tesla

Reports surrounding Apple's self-manufactured car have surfaced just before Valentine's Day. Citing information from the Wall Street Journal, the AppleInsider noted that "several hundred" employees are already working on the project codenamed "Titan."

As told by the outlet, the Apple vehicle (aka iCar) is purported to be an all-electric minivan. Reportedly, company execs have already started meeting potential contract manufacturers.

iPod and iPhone designer Steve Zadesky is said to spearhead the project. He is a former Ford engineer.

The news becomes even more interesting upon consideration of Tim Cook's earlier remarks. Gizmodo took note of the CEO's dialogue with Charlie Rose, "There are products that we're working on that no one knows about, that haven't been rumored about yet."

As reported by Reuters, the electric car project is expected to rival GM, Nissan and Tesla.

An Apple employee may have also spilled the beans. USA Today cited an earlier report from the Business Insider, which talked about the tipster saying, "Apple's latest project is too exciting to pass up. I think it will change the landscape and give Tesla a run for its money."

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Apple has tried "very hard" to poach Tesla employees, Bloomberg noted. These employees are said to be offered $250,000 signing bonuses and 60 percent salary increases.

Musk expressed, "Apple tries very hard to recruit from Tesla... But so far they've actually recruited very few people."

Earlier this month, Apple was spotted letting out camera- and sensor-equipped minivans on the roads of New York and California. The system is known to be utilized for mapping and scanning, suggestive of operations related to Apple Maps.

These pieces of information bring us back to the company's automobile infotainment platform called CarPlay. The feature was rolled out to select models in 2014, branded as the "smarter and safer" way of using an iPhone in the confines of one's car.

CarPlay doesn't only provide directions, but it also helps users answer calls, send and receive messages, listen to music, determine traffic conditions and estimate travel time. In addition, it supports iPhone apps such as Beats Music, Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Rdio and Overcast, among others.

The feature is compatible with the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c and iPhone 5.

If the reports bear truth, we're most likely seeing CarPlay packed into whatever wheeled-structure Apple is crafting right now.

The Cupertino giant has declined to comment on the issue as of press time.