Apple CEO Tim Cook says a 'massive change' is coming in the car industry

Cook's comments were the latest hint that Apple could be developing a car of its own

Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks at the WSJD conference in California (FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images)

Apple CEO Tim Cook has said there will be a "massive change" in the automotive industry, in a potential hint that the iPhone manufacturer is going to make a car at some point in the future.

Speaking at the Wall Street Journal's WSJDLive conference in Laguna Beach, California, the Alabama-born chief executive did neither confirm nor deny rumours that Apple was developing a car.

However, when asked what is is about the auto industry that is ripe for disruption, Cook said: "When I look at the automobile, what I see is that software becomes an increasingly important component of the car of the future."

"You see that autonomous driving becomes very much more important, in a huge way."

"A lot of the major technologies in today's car, they shift from today's combustion engine-centric focus."

"It would seem like there will be massive change in that industry, massive change."

"You may not agree with that. That's what I think."

He didn't mention any upcoming Apple car, but he did say he wanted drivers to be able to get an "iPhone experience in [their] car."

"Whatever kind of car you have, the interface probably isn't in the top 10 list of the things you love about it."

CarPlay, which was announced last year, is Apple's first attempt at changing this. By plugging your iPhone into your car (or connecting wirelessly), CarPlay displays a simplified iPhone screen on the car's display screen.

It's available in new cars from a number of manufacturers, from Vauxhall to Ferrari, but rumours are swirling that Apple's amibitions in the car industry go much further.

According to documents seen by The Guardian in August, Apple is reportedly further along than expected with its 'Project Titan' self-driving car, and is already scouting locations to test out the technology.

Another report, from the Wall Street Journal in September, indicated Apple had "committed" to building a car, and has gone on a huge recruitment campaign to poach driverless car and battery experts from the auto industry to work on the project.

However, Elon Musk, CEO of electric car company Tesla, has previously been dismissive of the plans - speaking to German paper Handelsblatt, he said: "Cars are very complex compared to phones or smartwatches."

"You can't just go to a supplier like Foxconn and say 'build me a car.'"