Apple Car: What We Know About the Project and Its Road Ahead

A tech and automotive research group recently published a joint assessment that suggests an Apple car is not imminent. The consensus is that if Apple does pursue a vehicle, it is likely to push back until autonomous driving reaches broad availability. For now, robotaxi services capable of city driving appear to be targeted for deployment in the next few years. The path to full self driving remains a longer arc, mainly because sensor costs must fall and software must improve further. Reuters reported in December that Apple was advancing autonomous driving tech with plans for a passenger vehicle that would incorporate its own battery innovations, potentially arriving as early as 2024. Read more about apple play car stereo here. Yet it remains unclear whether Apple’s behind the scenes efforts will culminate in a car that reaches wide consumer adoption. Questions persist about whether Apple is concentrating on software only, or if it intends releasing a vehicle meant for ride sharing or private consumers, or if it might ultimately abandon the project altogether. What Will The Apple iCar Look Like Efforts have accelerated around sensor development. An April 2019 report noted Apple was in talks with component suppliers for parts that could be used in self driving systems. Apple has reportedly engaged several LiDAR sensor suppliers and appears to be evaluating existing technologies while also advancing its own LiDAR hardware. The company has continued hiring for its car project, even as some rumors hint that focus may have shifted toward autonomous driving software rather than a complete vehicle, leaving the true plan unclear. In 2019 Apple bought Drive.ai, a self driving vehicle startup that built a shuttle service. Automakers such as Volkswagen, Jaguar, BMW, Nissan, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, and GM have also been the subject of autonomous driving chatter, but none of these brands is currently delivering a safe, mass market autonomous car. There are well founded concerns that the major brands would prefer to keep their autonomous know how under wraps. Chill Out Your iPhone Knows The Way These vehicles would be autonomous and electric, designed to operate without a driver and aimed at the final mile. That could mean Apple cars, at least at first, focusing on parcel delivery operations and fleets for ride hailing or logistics services. A late report indicated that Apple lost several engineers from its automotive program to a self driving startup. The engineers had previously been recruited from established automakers, with expertise in braking, suspension, and other critical mechanical systems. Earlier coverage suggested Apple was collaborating with an established automaker on a self driving shuttle test bed. In this scenario Apple would provide the autonomous driving technology while the vehicle maker handles commercial fleet operations. Rumors point to Apple using the E-GMP platform developed by Hyundai’s group. E-GMP is a modular platform built for battery electric vehicles, offering Apple the chance to sidestep drivetrain development while leveraging a known architecture. A Business Insider source from 2017 claimed Apple’s autonomous driving work was at a stage similar to where Google stood a few years earlier. The source described familiarity with several autonomous driving efforts and claimed early access to Apple’s technology. This fuels speculation about an iCar, or perhaps software controls accessed via CarPlay or a future in car interface, or possibly nothing at all since much patent activity in this space is speculative. Patents related to car climate control hint at automotive interests, indicating Apple and other tech firms are exploring car related technologies. Apple was reportedly pursuing the creation of an electric car The company recruited Drive.ai staff in engineering and product design for its own self driving project. The project began exploring electric car development as early as 2014. Nissan has featured intuitive technology in its vehicles such as NissanConnect, which includes services like door to door navigation and seamless CarPlay compatibility among others. Apple has reportedly held conversations with four LiDAR sensor suppliers, signaling a potential fleet style approach akin to Intel’s self driving project. More recently, there were reports of promising talks with Hyundai about producing the autonomous electric vehicle. Earlier rumors suggested Apple might have a manufacturing agreement with Hyundai’s affiliate Kia, potentially bringing the Apple Car to market by 2024. One source familiar with current plans noted that the first Apple Cars might not include a driver. The Road Ahead for the Apple Car Apple has not publicly confirmed these rumors, which is in line with the company’s cautious pattern around its car initiative. Recent months have seen renewed chatter about stronger plans, including the Reuters report of December that Apple aimed to begin manufacturing a new line of electric vehicles featuring cutting edge battery tech. However, later news from Bloomberg indicated that talks with Hyundai may have ended weeks earlier without a deal. Apple has reportedly brought in Dan Dodge, formerly of BlackBerry owned QNX, to work on Project Titan, its electric vehicle program. Last year Apple paused the notion of a fully in house vehicle in favor of a platform designed to support autonomous vehicles, whether apples own model or a partner produced vehicle or a ride sharing service. Hyundai has spoken about producing Level 4 autonomous vehicles by 2021, and the Hyundai-Kia group already offers a range of electric vehicles. Following the various reports this year there is no definitive confirmation about a release. The broader automotive ecosystem continues to watch Apple closely as it tests the boundaries of in car software, hardware, and potential mobility services. A compiled picture from multiple industry analyses and insider accounts shows Apple pursuing a mix of software, system integration, and potential vehicle platforms while evaluating partners and production routes. The conversation remains dynamic, with the possibility of future announcements that could reshape how consumers think about Apple in mobility.