“Apple Inc. has expanded its California self-driving test fleet to 27 vehicles as it accelerates efforts to catch up with competitors such as Alphabet Inc’s Waymo,” Alex Webb reports for Bloomberg.
“Since receiving a permit to test three autonomous cars in California last April, the iPhone maker has registered 24 more Lexus RX450h sport-utility vehicles, the California Department of Motor Vehicles said in an emailed response to questions,” Webb reports. “Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook acknowledged for the first time in June that the company had a team developing autonomous car technology. Those efforts, known as Project Titan, were pared back in 2016 from earlier ambitious plans to build an entire vehicle after headcount and costs spiraled.”
“Apple has a long way to go to catch up with the likes of Waymo, however,” Webb reports. “The former Google division is testing its autonomous technology in six states already, including 600 minivans in Phoenix from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple has a long way to go to catch up with Waymo because, you know, the number of cars in your test fleet and the number of states in which you’re testing are direct indicators of how far along you are in autonomous technology. Oh, wait, they’re not.
SEE ALSO:
Right now, the ‘Apple Car’ is a 2015 Lexus RX 450h SUV – April 17, 2017
Gene Munster on Apple Car: Exploration does not mean a product comes to market – April 17, 2017
Apple’s Project Titan: California makes it official – April 17, 2017
Why you should get your self-driving car from Apple – April 17, 2017
Apple secures permit to test autonomous vehicles – April 15, 2017
Apple’s letter to the U.S. NHTSA reveals 30-year Detroit veteran on its stealth ‘Project Titan’ team – December 8, 2016
Apple files patent for autonomous vehicle collision avoidance system – December 8, 2016
Apple letter all but confirms plans for self-driving cars and commitment to privacy – December 5, 2016
Apple drops hints about autonomous-vehicle project in letter to U.S. transportation regulators – December 3, 2016
It’s not McLaren Racing, but McLaren Applied Technologies, that’s the apple of Apple’s eye – September 23, 2016
Apple-target McLaren is a tech company disguised as a carmaker – September 22, 2016
Supercar-maker McLaren says not in discussion with Apple ‘in respect of any potential investment’ – September 22, 2016
Apple in talks to acquire British supercar maker McLaren – September 21, 2016
Apple in talks to acquire electric vehicle-maker Lit Motors – September 21, 2016
Gene Munster gives up the Apple Television ghost – May 19, 2015
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
Tesla should buy Apple self driving software when its ready and available. That is the best method for short cut for Tesla fleets.
Mdn.. you believe data and information gatheted from 27 test cars in one state is equal to data and information gathered from 600 cars all over the place ?
You think both cases offer the same amount of insight and problem solving challenges? And hence advancement?
If that were what really mattered they would all just buy more cars.
“What realy mattered…”. No
Does it matter …Yes.
The more data you can gather and analyze the better the results the more situations encountered the better for finding solutions.. .. its just common sense..
But some spiteful politicly inclined fools will distort and polute opinion pools.
You know who u are.. and what group u belong to..
Go ahead and downvotes anything i post.. from praise to question to critiques……. it only proves how fanatical you are …You spiteful bunch L’s.
GM is proposing to sell a driverless car for the 2019 model year.
I think Apple is a bit behind.
For anyone curious for a deep dive int o the complexities of developing a self driving car. GM has released a report on it’s efforts in PDF. A lot of what is listed is what any maker faces and would have to address.
From the GM Corporate site:
Click to access gmsafetyreport.pdf
Yeah, so what? How does this mean anything? Please, explain as nothing has changed regarding autonomous driving.