Rumors that US tech giant Apple is developing an autonomous car have been around for years, even before electric vehicles (EVs) hit the market. A recent Reuters report revealed that the company aims to start production in 2024.
The autonomous Apple car will have “next level” battery technology that could “radically” increase range and cut battery costs, according to the report.
The report did not reveal whether Apple will take charge of building the vehicle or if it will work with a car manufacturer. The car will be a personal mass-market vehicle rather than a robotaxi or commercial EV, according to Reuter’s sources.
The report said that Apple has decided to rely on outside partners for certain car elements, including lidar sensors. These sensors allow autonomous cars to obtain a three-dimensional view of the road.
The Apple car “might” have multiple sensors, and some of them could be developed from the company’s internally produced sensors. Apple’s newly released iPhone 12 Pro and iPad Pro devices both have lidar sensors.
Dubbed as Project Titan, Apple’s future car has been an open secret in the industry since 2014.
Apple hired several vehicle engineers from leading automakers, such as Porsche and Tesla, for the project. Alexander HItzinger, one of these hires, recently left Apple to return to Volkwagen as the new head of its Project Artemis.
Over the last few years, Project Titan appeared to be an on-again/off-again endeavor. But with the Reuters report, it looks like it’s back on track and gearing up for production.
The news service’s sources warned that the production could be pushed to 2025 due to pandemic-related delays.
Also rumored to be in talks with Apple is Magna, a well-known supplier for automakers that runs an EV platform. But the outcome of the meetings between the two companies remains to be seen.
Apple plans to power the car with a unique “monocell” battery. It combines the individual cells in each battery to generate more power within the same space as the traditional battery-pack layout.
Considering its success with the iPhone, Apple seems poised to manufacture another industry hit—at least, if it pushes through with the production.
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