Non-Automotive Companies Making Electric Cars

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The Expected And Obvious

There are numerous automotive companies that solely specialize in electric vehicles: Tesla, Rivian, Lucid, and others abroad. There are also numerous legacy automotive companies that do not specialize solely in electric vehicles. Much of these companies have since launched numerous electric models, with some going as far to announce that they plan to be entirely electric sometime within the 2020s decade. At this point in 2021, it should no longer come as a surprise if any legacy automaker decides to announce an electrified version of an iconic model of theirs. An all-electric Ford F-150? Old news. An all-electric Jaguar? Already on sale. An all-electric Ferrari? Yes, that too is happening in 2025. Should that shock traditionalists? Again, at this point in 2021, it should not even be a surprise if something wild, ultra exotic, and ever rarer than Ferrari such as Pagani, decides to come out and say that they want to do an all-electric car. Because they actually did. Yes, Horacio himself said it back in 2019 about developing an all-electric model. Basically, if a company makes cars, it is simply no longer a surprise. This leads to the next point of discussion: the unexpected. Or perhaps it would be better to say the non-automotive delving into the automotive.

Non-Automotive Companies Doing It

Apple would naturally be a first to discuss on a list of non-automotive companies getting involved with electric cars. With rumors of Apple making a car going as far back as 2014 or 2015,  it has now become more of a question as to when will they actually build the car, as opposed to believing that the Cupertino company does not and will not make cars. 2021 news has it that Apple had looked to form partnerships with established automakers, but discussions with several companies, including BMW Group, Hyundai Motor Group, Nissan, Toyota, and Magna International, but fell apart. It is now rumored that Apple will build the car alone. This is the best approach for the company, given that it would allow for far greater in-house control over things. Not to mention that with Apple being a trillionaire company, they are not short of resources or funding. If a far smaller company like Rimac was able to build their own car, Apple should be able to do far more with the resources it has. They likely would have been able to get started on their car far sooner, if they had not bothered with attempting to form unnecessary partnerships.

Sony is the next company worthy of mention. When people think of Sony, they likely think of premium headphones, smartphones, cameras, and PlayStations. This same Sony unveiled an electric sedan last year called Vision-S. The Sony Vision-S is an all-electric concept sedan that was developed by Sony and first unveiled at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show. The car subjectively resembles what a 4-door Pininfarina Battista mixed with Tesla Model S would look like. Despite the positive reception for it, Sony claimed in January 2021 it has no plans to mass-produce or sell its Vision-S concept, but is using the concept to test autonomous technology and experiment with PlayStation for cars. Sony did not entirely rule out the possibility of building cars, meaning that should it ever decide to make another model intended for production, or change its mind about the Vision-S, this would not come as a shocker. In fact, Journalists said that the real surprise to them was when Sony said that they would not put the car into production. This makes it clear that there are people that would buy this car, or that they are at least expecting Sony to enter the automotive sector after seeing them debut a car. Before CES, did anybody expect Sony to present a car? Likely not. Since 2020, this has certainly changed. People want to Sony to mass produce it. 

Xiaomi is the last non-automotive company that will be discussed in this write-up as a noteworthy company that is confirmed to enter the automotive sector. Out of the 3 discussed, it is the only one that formerly registered its electric vehicle company, Xiaomi EV Company. Should this come as a surprise? Unless unfamiliar with the company, absolutely not. Even then, it is hard to not be familiar with Xiaomi given that is is the second largest smartphone maker in the world, only behind Samsung. In fact, calling it a “smartphone maker” does not even it do it justice given that Xiaomi makes just about everything from its smartphones, clocks, speakers, scooters, Wi-fi routers, watches, powerbanks, monitors, televisions, keyboards, mice, and many more. Because of this, it should actually be seen as natural and expected that they would want to start making electric cars. If Apple is doing it, Sony tested it, and others possibly doing it, Xiaomi clearly did not want to waste time doubting its capabilities.

Theoretical & Predictions

For some companies, it is likely and expected to see them enter into the electric vehicle-making market. For others, it may not be so expected, but a complete shocker. Then there would be the category of simply just not likely to ever happen. 16 companies below shall be examined for the likelihood of their electric vehicle chances.

Royal Bank Of Canada

When Canadians think of the Royal Bank Of Canada, frequently referred to as simply RBC, the iconic blue, yellow, white, colour theme is instantly visualized. This should not even remotely be a surprise given that it is not only part of the big 5 banks in Canada, but is also the wealthiest of them, too. With a  reported net income of $4.3 billion for the quarter ended July 31, 2021, their cash reserve is immense. While cash is unlikely to be an issue for the bank to fund development, the better question is how likely is it that they actually would? At this time, it remains very unlikely that the Royal Bank Of Canada will be developing an electric car. If this bank were to do so, it is reasonable to predict that it will build a sports utility vehicle with a luxurious interior.

Lululemon Athletica

The Vancouver-founded company has made recent (2021) headlines when The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) announced that the athletic apparel brand is the new Official Outfitter of Team Canada. Lululemon has been a longtime favourite of Canadians for its iconic athletic apparel. What if this apparel company were to make an electric car? It is safe to predict that the shock factor would be extremely high. Most people do not ever expect to see an electric car come out of clothing company. At least not at this time in history. Perhaps when it gets to the point that the huge clothing companies start doing it, and others pursuing it, only then would it become expected of Lululemon to enter this sector. Lululemon has immense net revenue and continually good sales,  allowing for funding of development to not be much of an issue. Its passionate userbase helps, too. Being a company revolved around fitness, Lululemon’s first car would likely either be a sporty 2+2 coupé or a sleek, sporty crossover. Perhaps the crossover is more likely, given that consumers would want to have the extra space for their gear.

BlackBerry Limited

BlackBerry’s iconic name and history goes all the way back to 1984. Formerly known for their iconic BlackBerry smartphones, the tech company is now a software company that specializes in cybersecurity and the Internet Of Things. BlackBerry has long abandoned hardware products, with the BlackBerry Priv being its last hardware product designed in-house. For this reason, it is exceptionally unlikely that BlackBerry would ever make an in-house electric car. If anything, it would more likely create an agreement with another company to use the BlackBerry name and logo to build the hardware of the car, while BlackBerry itself takes of the software. BlackBerry products have always been about utility and hard work, making it reasonable to predict that the company would build a pickup truck as their first offering. 

Canadian Tire Corporation Limited

Canadian Tire Corporation Limited is a Canadian retail company which operates in the automotive, hardware, sports, leisure, and housewares sectors. In 2022, the company will turn 100 years old, meaning that history of the iconic company is nearly a century old at this point. As the name suggests, Canadian Tire truly does deal extensively with automotive parts, and even has mechanics that service customers’ cars in the repairs part of the stores. In addition to this, many locations have been installing electric vehicle fast chargers. All of these suggest that Canadian Tire is well setup and equipped to make electric cars. However, there remains one thing: the company has never said or implied doing such a thing. Should Canadian Tire ever come out with an announcement about it, it should not come off as too surprising or shocking. It already has automotive parts and servicing in its DNA, which would make it very convenient for servicing its own cars. It is hard to predict which class of vehicle they would launch first. Likely something full-sized with lots of storage is reasonable to expect from them. Either a van, sports utility vehicle or pickup trucks fits their theme.

Canada Goose

Canada Goose is a luxury fashion company that specializes in extreme weather outerwear. Despite the name, the brand is well known across the world for its image and high price tags. As mentioned earlier, a clothes company getting into electric cars is going to come as an immense surprise, until when it becomes common. Canada Goose is no exception. While Canada Goose is a profitable company, it does not appear to have a mutli-billion dollar stream of revenue, meaning that funding and producing an electric car may be a challenge. Or maybe not? With extreme weather being a hardcore part of the company’s DNA, it is easy to predict that Canada Goose would build either a rugged pickup truck or sport utility vehicle as their first offering. 

Telus

Being a major telecommunications company in Canada, the Edmonton-founded corporation has a massive presence in millions of Canadians lives. With mountainous revenue and a plethora of experience with technology, mobility, and security, Telus on paper sounds about fit for automotive production. Even further, GM Canada and Telus announced on September 01, 2021, that they are working together to connect GM’s next-generation vehicles to TELUS’ 5G network. This represents the first time GM has selected a domestic communications company to provide connected-vehicle services for Canadian customers. There is a big question: does Telus have any actual experience building car parts and assembly? No. Would it be hard for them to get the engineers and the resources to do such a thing? No. Has Telus announced any intentions at all to make Telus-branded electric cars? At this time, no. What class of vehicle would they launch first if they were to ever do such a thing? A van or crossover is a safe prediction.

Microsoft

Quoting straight from the website:

“Microsoft was founded in 1975. Our mission is to enable people and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential by creating technology that transforms the way people work, play, and communicate. We develop and market software, services, and hardware that deliver new opportunities, greater convenience, and enhanced value to people’s lives. We do business worldwide and have offices in more than 100 countries.”

No further explanation is needed. Microsoft’s name is common as bread and cheese; apples and oranges. With decades of hardware and technology experience along with a wide variety of applications, Microsoft is more than capable of producing its own electric cars. Having in excess of 30 billion of revenue certainly helps, too. While Microsoft worked with Cruise and General Motors in regards to certain technologies, it has never mentioned anything about actually building cars under its own name. It should also be noted that if they were to do so, Microsoft would likely call them Surface Cars, given that this is the title they often use for hardware products they make in-house. The Microsoft Surface Computers are notable example of this. If Microsoft were to make a car, it is more than safe to believe that it would be loaded with state-of-the-art technology. It would likely look futuristic, too. Which class of car would they make? It is a bit hard to predict given the company’s variable profile. Anything with 4 or 5 doors is a safe guess.

Walmart

Ask a Canadian, American or even Mexican to name departments stores and it is safe to say that Walmart would be on the list. Even in places where it is absent, Walmart’s name still would not come off as too alien, given that its revenue puts it on a very high position of the Fortune Companies. In regards to electric cars, Walmart is no stranger to the automotive world. Not only has it worked with companies to install electric vehicle charging stations on its physical properties, but has also invested in startups. The question that remains is will Walmart make electric cars wholly under their brand name? There are no concrete answers at this time. The closest thing available is when Walmart was testing electric vans from Gatik, a partner of its, with Walmart branding on it. This means that if Walmart were to ever start making electric cars, it is very easy to predict that they will make electric vans first, and likely pickup truck variants of those vans. 

McDonald’s

The red, yellow, and white themed restaurant exists on every continent except Anarctica, and that is only because it does not have a permanent population. What started off as a hamburger stand in California with 2 brothers has since grown to become one of, if not, the most internationally recognized fast food restaurant in the world. Will this massively successful fast food restaurant build electric cars? McDonald’s has never said or thought about it. The closest thing they have done in regards to electric vehicles was to install electric vehicle charging stations at locations, and even drive-throughs. This shows that McDonald’s encourages and welcomes electric vehicles, but does not have intentions to build any at this time. If McDonald’s were to build an electric vehicle, their first model will likely be something family-oriented and capable of tackling all weather conditions. This means that a 7-seating crossover or 8-seating sport utility vehicle would likely be their pick.

Nintendo

Nintendo  is a Japanese multinational consumer electronics and video game company founded and headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. Given that this is the company everyone knows for providing the world the countless hours of entertainment through it gaming consoles and titles, Nintendo has a special place in the hearts of millions of consumers. What about electric cars? Has Nintendo given any thoughts or indications about electric vehicles? No words or hints are given at this time. What is certain is that if Nintendo were to enter this sector, that their car would be very sporty, tech-loaded, and consumer oriented. Either a “hot hatch” or crossover would be expected from Nintendo as their first electric car.

Takara Tomy

Most consumers probably will not know what Takara Tomy is or what it does, unless they are a fan, were a fan, or have heard of some of its most notable products: Microman, Transformers, Tomica, Battle Beasts, Beyblade, and B-Daman. Some of these products are out of production, while others such as Beyblade and Tomica continue rolling out. While the company makes plenty of die-cast car models, it does not make actual car parts. Being a rather small business on an international scale, seeing an electric car come out of them is highly unlikely at this time. As such, there is no evidence or plans of Takara Tomy making an electric car anytime soon. If they were to, competing with existing Japanese giants with far more global outreach and power, would be a rather intense challenge. At the same time, because Takara Tomy does not have history with gasoline engines, this could also make it their biggest advantage. They do not have to worry about phasing out or dealing with gasoline replacements. If Takara Tomy were to ever make an electric car, it is very safe to predict that their priorities would be making the car as fun as possible to drive. A sporty, cartoonishly styled hatchback or crossover would be expected as their first offering.

Nokia

The longtime Finnish telecommunications, information technology, and consumer electronics company, touts themselves as a technology leader across mobile, fixed and cloud networks, where their solutions enable a more productive, sustainable, and inclusive world. Despite this, most people associate Nokia as being a smartphone maker, due to it immense popularity of its feature phones from the early 2000s. Even its defunct Windows phones, and presently produced Android phones still have a strong fanbase. Attempting to do a search for “Nokia Electric” cars is problematic in that search engines tend to bring up “Nikola” a startup that was supposed to release a fuel cell electric truck, but went off track. Either way, if there were strong evidence for a Nokia electric car, the results would have said so. They presently do not. If Nokia were to build their own electric car, it is very safe to assume that it will be a very rugged and capable crossover or sport utility vehicle with a thoughtfully designed, high-tech interior.

Yamaha

Yamaha is an extremely familiar brand to musicians and motorists alike thanks to its presence in instruments and motorized parts across the world. However, it should be noted that Yamaha Motor Company has been spun off from Yamaha Corporation as a separate company back in 1955. Yamaha Corporation is still the largest private company shareholder of it, though. Out of all the these companies mentioned thus far in the Predictions Section, Yamaha is the one that would be the least shocking to see an electric car from. The company already makes numerous powertrains and parts, meaning that it more than clearly has the resources to do so. There is only one strange problem: they do not want to make whole electric cars. At least, that is the impression they are sending so far. Yamaha Motor has even went as far as announcing that they were accepting orders for prototype hyper-EV electric motor development in a news release from April 12, 2021. At this point, it is rather confusing that they are taking such a passive approach to electric vehicle manufacturing. If Yamaha decides to make vehicles of their own, it will likely be a sport utility vehicle as their first offering.

Twitter

“Twitter is a service for friends, family, and coworkers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent messages. People post Tweets, which may contain photos, videos, links, and text. These messages are posted to your profile, sent to your followers, and are searchable on Twitter search.” -Twitter.

With approximately 180 – 206 million users spread across all continents, Twitter is what can rightly be described as a mega platform. Its sheer popularity is due to how efficient and useful its iconic Tweet system is. Does Twitter have any plans to make Twitter-branded electric cars of its own? No, there is no mention of this happening at the time. In fact, it does not seem as though any social media platform has even ever mentioned thinking about building branded electric cars of their own. Should Twitter come out to do this, it will shock the world for sure. It would also be greatly expected for Facebook, a company that truly has the revenue to do such a thing, to also make an electric car in response to Twitter’s. What kind of vehicle would Twitter make? It is somewhat hard to say. Tweets are light in nature, suggesting that the company might go with a compact crossover as their first choice. Yet, because it is also a social platform for a wide variety of uses, it is also possible they might even do something huge like an 8-seating sport utility vehicle. 

Henri Selmer Paris

This is an extremely familiar to name saxophone and clarinet players, especially professionals. Selmer touts itself as being a world leader in manufacturing high-end saxophones, clarinets, and mouthpieces. Being a fine instrument-maker that has been around since 1885, Selmer, without a doubt works with a lot of steel, wood, and plastic. This means that they are already familiar with designing, materials, machinery, and production-related matters. While this does not mean that it automatically translates into being good at cars, it does give them an immense advantage if they ever wanted to start doing so, in comparison to company that only deals with food for example. Has Selmer said anything about making electric cars? No, there are zero mentions of it at this time. What kind of vehicle would the French company debut with? Given that Selmer is notably a company of magnificent design, it is easy to predict that they would debut with a very fine luxury car. Selmer makes instruments in all sorts of sizes. Clarinetists and saxophonists often have very large instruments in their collections, such as baritone saxophones and bass clarinets. With Selmer being more than aware of this, their first car would most likely be a utility vehicle of the sort. One that would logically be no smaller than a mid-sized crossover. Perhaps even a station wagon might be their pick.

Gojo Industries

Most people know what Purell is, but what most may or may not know is that Purell is a product of a billion dollar company called Gojo Industries. Gojo makes all sorts of sanitizer, soaps, and personal hygiene products. With Gojo having a quarter of the United States’ hand sanitizer sales and an annual revenue of 500 million, it appears to be in good financial shape to make an electric cars. Will it make them, though? There are no mentions of it. One thing that can be almost certain, is that the vehicle would carry the Purell brand, as this brand is both extremely profitable and iconic in name. With Purell being a brand centered around hygiene and utility, it is very easy to predict that Gojo would build a Purell-branded van as its first vehicle. It would also be expected to have a lot of features in regards to health and safety, most notable HEPA filters.

The Reality Of It All

Never say never? For some of the companies above such as fast food companies like McDonald’s, the world will almost certainly not ever see them produce vehicles in their lifetime. Do these companies need to? Absolutely not. If anything, it is the existing companies right now, particularly resistant ones such as Toyota, Subaru, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Ferrari, McLaren, Aston Martin, and plethora of others that should start exclusively producing electric cars. That said, if an extremely unpredicted company like McDonald’s does decide to do cars, there is no harm in that. For some of the companies above, they already have a lot of experience with cars and machinery, such as Walmart and Canadian Tire. However, there is no concrete evidence that either of these two will make electric cars. For Walmart particularly, it does seem somewhat more likely, even if not done under their own brand name. Yamaha Motor is in a particularly strange position in that it technically already makes cars, just not wholly complete cars. For this reason, it is not even correct to call it a “non-automotive” company unless referring to Yamaha Corporation, the company it originally separated itself from. Yamaha should be the one that would be most likely to do make whole cars on this, but due to fear, uncertainty and doubt, it remains unknown.