Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) is pushing ahead with its electric vehicle project codenamed Titan in several key areas.
What happened: The Cupertino company received a patent on Tuesday that depicts a new design for its ideal charging station. As seen in the diagrams, the driver would approach the 'outlet' while remaining inside the vehicle, and the automated system would handle everything else.
Benzinga’s take: Cameras near the charging port's opening would likely facilitate this procedure, and the driver would have to position the vehicle's tires similarly to a car wash tire conveyor belt.
According to Patently Apple, a website that tracks Apple’s intellectual property, the company has patented 124 project Titan patents relating to electric, autonomous, and semi-autonomous vehicles.
The patent comes just days after the company hired Desi Ujkashevic, a Ford Motor Co (NYSE: F) veteran, to push its self-driving vehicle to market by 2025, according to Bloomberg.
Why it matters: If the charging port design is used, it would mean two things. Apple ensures that its design is unique, with rival EVs such as Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) will be unable to share connectors. Second, Apple would strengthen its charging ecosystem, such as the proprietary lightning cable.
