Apple has scaled back its Apple Car project and no longer plans to bring a fully self-driving vehicle to market, it is now reported.
Apple wanted to develop a self-driving car without a steering wheel or pedals, but decided that such a project was not feasible at this time. The vehicle will have guided driving features that work on highways, but it will not be able to drive completely independently at all times. The car will be equipped with an Apple-designed processor that controls the AI functions, similar to the Mac, iPhone and iPad. The chip is equivalent to four of the most powerful Mac chips and is almost ready for production. It will contain a series of lidar and radar sensors, as well as cameras that can provide the car with position data, lane data and orientation data relative to people and objects. Apple will use the cloud for some of the AI processing. However, the company is also considering a remote control center that could remotely assist drivers in emergencies and control the car.
Apple Car: Development started in 2014
Apple may also offer its own insurance program for businesses. Apple's vehicle will come with a steering wheel and pedals, like a regular vehicle. It will allow customers to watch movies or multitask on the highway. However, the vehicle will issue warnings when it's time to switch to manual control in the city or in bad weather, with the self-driving component potentially limited to North America at launch - so Bloomberg. Since the Apple Car project was launched in 2014, the scope of development has changed several times. Apple originally planned to develop a complete vehicle, but then in 2016 there were rumors that the plans for a car had been shelved and Apple would instead develop some kind of autonomous driving system for other vehicles.
A consumer model for under $100,000?
In 2020, plans for a full vehicle with autonomous driving features resumed, and Apple tested the self-driving technology in SUVs in the San Francisco Bay Area. But now it looks like full autonomous driving features won't be ready when the first Apple Car launches. The Apple Car team has gone through several leadership changes. Currently, AI and machine learning chief John Giannandrea is leading the Apple Car project, and Kevin Lynch, known for his work on the Apple Watch, is also overseeing work on the car. While rumors suggested the car could launch as early as 2025, it is now expected to be 2026 at the earliest, with Apple aiming to sell a consumer model for under $100,000. (Photo by Sensvector / Bigstockphoto)
