Tim Cook goes live on Weibo, earning over 100,000 more followers in half an hour. (Photo : Reuters)
At the annual shareholders meeting on March 10, 2015, Apple shareholders asked Tim Cook about the chances of Apple purchasing Tesla Motors, manufacturer of electric vehicles, Uncover Michigan reported. Apple's CEO was not interested in answering the question.
He said that the company would be delighted if Tesla integrate CarPlay into its vehicles. However, he didn't rule out the possibility of acquiring Tesla Motors. At present, the software giant Apple has no relationship with the electric car maker.
Cook said that all major automotive manufacturers has now committed to using CarPlay. He further said that the company expects Tesla Motors to support CarPlay. However, electric vehicle manufacturer has its own advanced dashboard model that can compete with CarPlay.
According to recent reports, the software giant has formed a team that will work on electric vehicle. On the other hand, the US-based Tesla Motors has been working hard to make its battery technology better. It is also working to offer better features in its product range. However, Tesla's revenue growth has declined over the last 12 quarters. Elon Musk, Tesla Motors CEO, does not expect the company to make profits for another five years.
Apple could easily afford to purchase Tesla Motors because it has $180 billion in cash. Over the past year and a quarter, the Cupertino-based company has bought 23 companies, The Next Digit reported.
According to a Huffington Post analysis, Apple might not show interest in purchasing Tesla Motors because it wants to develop its products in-house. Furthermore, Elon Musk may not want to sell the company.
