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Apple developed the chip modules and packages for its Apple Car's autopilot features with the help of an outsourced semiconductor assembly and test company (OSAT) based in South Korea, according to a new report.
OSAT is a service that suppliers often offer to their partners and includes the assembly, packaging and testing of integrated circuits. According to TheElec, the project started last year and is expected to be completed in 2023. The report:
South Korean company OSAT was working on the module for a chip that controls the autopilot function, similar to the chips used by Tesla, the sources said. Such chips, which are responsible for AI calculations, usually contain a neural processing unit, a CPU, a graphics processing unit (GPU), memory, as well as a camera interface and other functions.
Cupertino has great interest in South Korea
The project will be managed by Apple's regional offices in South Korea. According to the report, Apple's offices have obtained the bill of materials rights for the project and commissioned South Korean company OSAT to carry out the contract. TheElec links this move to Foxconn's construction of electric vehicle factories in the US and Thailand, which the report says will form the assembly line for the Apple Car. Foxconn says it plans to have the factories operational by 2023. But speculation that Apple will use them for mass production of its autonomous vehicle has not been confirmed. Apple has reportedly been in the process of selecting suppliers for its own electric vehicle since December last year. At that time, Apple representatives are said to have visited South Korea to meet with local suppliers, after making an initial visit in the summer of 2021.
Apple Car could still be years away
Apple's interest in Korean manufacturers has reportedly led to a heated battle to secure a place in Apple's supply chain, with Apple particularly interested in Korean battery manufacturing capabilities. According to previous reports, Apple is expected to complete the selection of suppliers for its vehicle by the end of this year and then begin development and mass production within the next two to three years. Reuters believes Apple wants to start producing a car in 2024. But Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes an Apple Car will not launch until 2025 to 2027 at the earliest. Kuo said he would not be surprised if the launch timeline was pushed to 2028 or later. (Photo by World Image / Bigstockphoto)
