Drivin' Apple cars, livin' like a star, ice on the fingers and the toes of the Tesla

Yesterday, the Black Caps logged their first victory of the 2015 Cricket World Cup, beating Sri Lanka by 98 runs. The Black Caps scored 331 for 6 and Sri Lanka 233 all out. But victory is also in the air for Planet Earth, as there is one more player in the electric car game: Apple. That's right, Apple Inc. is working on an Apple-branded electric vehicle. The project is code-named Titan and the design resembles a minivan. The Cupertino company has assigned several hundred employees to the vehicle. While a car may not ultimately result, some Apple executives have flown to Austria (the one that had Hitler, not the one with the kangaroos) to meet with contract manufacturers of high-end cars. Apple already has expertise managing a vast supply chain and has technology that may lend itself to an electric car. The company has long researched battery technology for use in its iPhones, iPads, and Macs. The mapping system it debuted in 2012 can be used for navigation. Last year, Apple also introduced CarPlay, a software system for automakers to use in its cars that integrates iTunes, mapping, messaging, and other applications. But all that fancy stuff will be old news if Apple does produce an electric car.