Will the long-rumored Apple car be an electric van?

The firm is already building prototypes, according to a report.

The on-again, off-again Apple car will arrive as an electric van, according to an unverified report from Germany.

Citing "people familiar with development," German magazine Manager Magazin learned the Apple car we've been hearing about for years will arrive as an Apple van. The sources who spoke to the publication used the term kleinbus, which literally translate to "small bus." In German, that term denotes a vehicle along the lines of a Volkswagen Transporter or a Mercedes-Benz Metris. It's sometimes used to refer to bigger models, like a Ram ProMaster.

Manager Magazin added Apple has already started building prototypes of the yet-unnamed vehicle. It will be autonomous, and it will be entirely electric; you didn't think the iCar would race M3s and Quadrifoglios on the 'Ring, did you? Interestingly, the technology that powers it -- including the battery pack -- is being developed in-house by the Cupertino-based tech giant. And, it's not too far-fetched to imagine the van will be part of a car-sharing program or a shuttle service rather than offered to private buyers through Apple's network of stores.

Apple has confirmed it's testing self-driving car technology; it voluntarily wrote a letter about its project to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). However, the company hasn't said anything about developing its own car. The latest rumors claimed it had given up on becoming an auto manufacturer, sent home hundreds of employees working on Project Titan, and instead decided to focus on developing its own autonomous technology. If accurate, this report suggests Apple has once again changed its mind.