• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech

Apple Registers ‘Apple.car’ Domain: Sign of Cars to Come?

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 8, 2016, 12:22 PM ET
SWITZERLAND-AUTO-SHOW-US-INTERNET-APPLE-COMPUTERS
A visitor presses the new Apple's CarPlay touch-screen commands inside the Volvo Estate concept car displayed at the Swedish carmaker during the press day of the Geneva Motor Show in Geneva, on March 4, 2014. FABRICE COFFRINI AFP/Getty Images

Here’s yet another reason to believe Apple may be working on that long-rumored car.

Apple has registered several car-related domains, including Apple.car, Apple.cars, and Apple.auto, according to records published online and discovered by Apple-tracking site MacRumors. All of the sites were registered by Apple on Dec. 9, and clearly show “Apple Inc.” as the owner. The domains also match the registration information for the company’s homepage, Apple.com.

Apple (AAPL) has been rumored to be working on a car for several years. While the company has remained tight-lipped about its plans, a steady stream of rumors say there is a secret project ongoing at Apple, called Titan, that is focused on building an Apple-branded electric vehicle.

In addition to those rumors, Apple has dropped some hints that a car may be in the works. Last month Apple CEO Tim Cook was coy when asked on “60 Minutes” whether his company was working on a car, fueling speculation that it was indeed planning a vehicle. In October, Cook said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that it’s clear to him the auto industry is in for a “massive change.”

SIGN UP: Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter about the business of technology.

Meanwhile, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, one of the more vocal Apple critics, has said that he and the iPhone maker held “talks,” suggesting that at one point Cook and Company were considering acquiring the electric car maker. Musk has also said that Apple has tried to poach some of his engineers, but poked fun at Apple, saying that the only engineers who end up in Cupertino are those who can’t hack it at Tesla.

Not even analysts can step away from the rumors surrounding Apple’s possible car move. Indeed, many agree that it could ultimately pay off.

“Given the changing supply chain as the industry transitions to electric from transmission powered vehicles and eventually to autonomous, we see the opportunity for technology vendors, including Google and Apple to dominate,” Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty said in a research note in November.

WATCH: For more on Apple car speculation, check out the following Fortune video:

The general consensus on Wall Street is that Apple would launch an electric car in 2019, though that could be pushed back to 2020.

With rumors mounting, the purchase of car-related domains is enough to fuel those flames. However, Apple is technically already in the car business with its in-vehicle infotainment platform CarPlay. The company has several partnerships with auto makers, allowing them to install CarPlay in their vehicles and let drivers connect iPhones to the interface. It’s possible that Apple’s decision to buy up the domains has nothing to do with a future car and everything to do with CarPlay.

MORE: Tim Cook: The car industry is in for a ‘massive change’

It’s also worth noting that, like many other companies, Apple will buy up boatloads of domains that have nothing to do with its plans. According to Domain Tools, a company that tracks domain registrations, Apple is “associated” with over 8,700 domains. Adding a few more to the mix means little.

So, while the domain acquisitions may be another clue to the eventual launch of a car, it’s also possible they mean nothing.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

BankingPredictions
Sports-focused prediction market Novig raises $75 million to challenge Kalshi and Polymarket
By Leo SchwartzFebruary 18, 2026
37 minutes ago
Personal FinanceVenture Capital
Exclusive: Sen. Bill Frist’s Frist Cressey Ventures raises $425 million fourth fund
By Allie GarfinkleFebruary 18, 2026
38 minutes ago
NewslettersTerm Sheet
Inside Dragonfly Capital’s $650 million fourth fund and its early bets on Polymarket and Rain
By Leo SchwartzFebruary 18, 2026
2 hours ago
NewslettersFortune Tech
As AI looms over the iPhone’s future, Apple is hedging its bets with three wearables
By Alexei OreskovicFebruary 18, 2026
3 hours ago
C-SuiteNext to Lead
CEO hopefuls have a new rival for the top job: their own board directors
By Ruth UmohFebruary 17, 2026
15 hours ago
Economycompensation
Why your boss loves AI and you hate it: Corporate profits are capturing your extra productivity, and your salary isn’t
By Eva RoytburgFebruary 17, 2026
16 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
AI
Thousands of CEOs just admitted AI had no impact on employment or productivity—and it has economists resurrecting a paradox from 40 years ago
By Sasha RogelbergFebruary 17, 2026
19 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
$56 trillion national debt leading to a spiraling crisis: Budget watchdog warns the U.S. is walking a crumbling path
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 17, 2026
20 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, February 17, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerFebruary 17, 2026
24 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
You need $2 million to retire and 'almost no one is close,' BlackRock CEO warns, a problem that Gen X will make 'harder and nastier'
By Sydney LakeFebruary 17, 2026
20 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump crackdown drives 80% plunge in immigrant employment, reshaping labor market, Goldman says
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 17, 2026
15 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Real Estate
A billionaire and an A-list actor found refuge in a 37-home Florida neighborhood with armed guards—proof that privacy is now the ultimate luxury
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezFebruary 15, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.