The Apple Car rumors reappeared in early 2021, and we’ve had a constant stream of unsubstantiated information regarding Apple’s most ambitious project to date since then.
Apple has no experience in automobile manufacturing, but if these claims are true, it has major plans that might help change the sector. Apple intends to create an electric vehicle that can also drive itself. Self-driving automobiles are currently available on the market, but they must be handled manually. Despite the fact that many people are testing such technology in the wild, carmakers have yet to master the technology that will allow them to build a safe self-driving car.
The most recent story provides additional information regarding Apple’s daring automobile intentions. In what appears to be the most futuristic automotive project we’ll ever see, the corporation has purportedly decided to create a vehicle without steering wheels or pedals. Furthermore, Apple is said to be planning to debut its first-generation self-driving automobile as early as 2025.
Apple’s intentions for self-driving cars
According to Bloomberg, Apple’s auto team has been experimenting with two potential scenarios for self-driving cars in recent years. The first involves a vehicle with limited self-driving capabilities that are focused on steering and acceleration. This is consistent with what competitors such as Tesla and Google’s Waymo are undertaking.
The alternative proposal entails an automobile with full self-driving capability that does not require human involvement. Apple chose the latter of the two options, with Kevin Lynch, Apple’s vice president of technology, now in charge of the automobile team. Lynch appears to want the first version of the Apple Car to be totally self-driving. Around addition, Apple intends to launch the automobile in 2025.
How might Apple’s self-driving car work?
According to Bloomberg, the interior of Apple’s self-driving car will be unlike that of most self-driving automobiles. Instead, it will resemble Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle prototypes:
Apple’s dream car would be devoid of a steering wheel and pedals, and its interior would be built to facilitate hands-free driving. One possibility being discussed within the firm is an interior comparable to that of Canoo Inc.’s Lifestyle Vehicle, a newcomer to the EV industry. Passengers in the car sit along the sides of the vehicle, facing each other, like they would in a limousine.
Apple reportedly considered interior ideas in which an iPad-like central console in the centre of the vehicle would allow users to control various features of the vehicle while driving. The Apple automobile would be interconnected with the rest of Apple’s products and services. Despite the fact that Apple does not intend to incorporate a steering wheel, the company does intend to include an emergency takeover mode.
Apple’s most advanced custom processor
Despite the fact that Apple has never produced a car, it has one significant edge over traditional automakers. It has a lot of experience with creating the brains for smart gadgets. Its proprietary CPUs, which power the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, are among the best in the business. Apple has yet to be surpassed by its competitors.
According to Bloomberg, Apple has already figured out the unique chip that will allow buyers to purchase a completely self-driving automobile. Apple intends to put the processor and other sensors to the test in a fleet of Lexus SUVs it has been employing to enhance its self-driving car aims.
The chip is more advanced than anything Apple has ever produced. Anyone in the industry is unlikely to be able to compete, based on what I’ve heard:
The Apple vehicle chip is the company’s most advanced internal component, consisting mostly of neural processors capable of handling the artificial intelligence required for autonomous driving. Because of the chip’s capabilities, it will certainly run hot, necessitating the creation of a sophisticated cooling system.
It’s not enough to have a self-driving automobile that can drive itself without the need for human intervention. The self-driving vehicle must be secure. And, as the paper points out, safety is a critical component.
Safety is superior to Tesla.
Apple wants to have more comprehensive safeguards in place than Tesla and Waymo, according to engineers involved in the programs. To avoid problems, Apple will incorporate numerous redundancies within the system.
Apple is also working to ensure that the car will work with the combined charging system (CCS), which will allow the electric vehicle to connect to a large network of charging stations.
These are remarkable and tough objectives to meet. According to the article, Apple continues to hire new employees. As important members of the automobile team have left over the years, the launch schedule has become more daring.
READ ALSO: TESLA INVASION: Top Notch Automobile Companies Gears Up In The Race To Go Electrical
Collaborations with traditional automakers
If Apple fails to meet its 2025 deadline, it may release a car with less features. According to the article, Apple developers working on the project are doubtful about a 2025 release date.
Apple is considering forming agreements with existing carmakers to produce the vehicle. Apple is said to have discussed partnerships with a number of companies and is considering producing the car in the United States. Several of these potential agreements were highlighted in prior Apple car speculations. Hyundai-Kia may have been a front-runner at one point.
Finally, according to the Bloomberg story, Apple has considered various business strategies. One of them entails putting together a fleet of self-driving taxis to compete with Uber, Lyft, and Waymo. Such plans have been stated in previous papers as well. However, selling the self-driving car straight to customers is a more plausible scenario.
READ ALSO: Tesla is Shipping Some Electric Cars Without USB Ports Due to a Shortage of Chips