It was only a matter of time, but reports have emerged that Apple is secretly working on its own electric car.

The technology giant is reportedly pushing its team to start production of an electric vehicle as early as 2020, according to Bloomberg Business.

The reports follow the recent news that A123 Systems, a maker of electric car batteries, is suing the company for poaching some of its top researchers, fuelling ideas that the iPhone maker is planning to move into the automotive market.

A123 specialises in making lithium-ion batteries that can be used in applications from computers to airplanes. It filed for bankruptcy in 2012 and since then has been selling off its assets.

“It appears that Apple, with the assistance of defendant Ijaz, is systematically hiring away A123’s high tech PhD and engineering employees, thereby effectively shutting down various projects/programs at A123,” A123 says in its lawsuit.

According to the Finanancial Times, the company is suing five of its former employees who joined Apple last June, for violating their employment agreements.

Although it looks quite certain that Apple will be moving into the automobile space in the near future, whether they make their own car models, or whether they are developing a model for the sole purpose of making their software easily integrate with a wider range of car models, still remains uncertain.

Towards the end of last month, Apple revealed its quarterly profits of $15.9bn, driven by sales of 74.5 million iPhone devices in the three months to 27 December last year.