Apple has hired a former engineer from Tesla, Christopher “CJ” Moore, for its “Project Titan” team working on the development of autonomous vehicles, Bloomberg News reports, citing “people with knowledge of the matter.”
Mark Gurman and Dana Hull for Bloomberg News:
Moore is working on the effort’s software, reporting to Stuart Bowers, another former Tesla executive who joined Apple at the end of last year. Bowers had led Tesla’s Autopilot team before departing in mid-2019.
At Tesla, Moore implied that Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk had overstated the capabilities of the Autopilot software. Earlier this year, California Department of Motor Vehicles officials interviewed Moore as part of investigations into the self-driving software. The department asked Moore about Musk claiming that Teslas would be capable of fully autonomous driving this year.
Moore signaled in response that Musk’s statements didn’t “match engineering reality,” according to a DMV memo summarizing the conversation. For many years, Musk has said he believes Tesla is close to releasing so-called Level 5 autonomy features, which would mean the cars can operate without human intervention. The current system, known as Level 2, requires drivers to keep their hands on the wheel.
MacDailyNews Take: Tesla drivers, how much do you trust autopilot?
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When you can’t beat them ….use slander.
The initial innovation of Car will be in how it stores energy and how it is recharged, not autonomous driving. Apple must make Car more convenient to own and operate, compared to today’s conventional cars (including hybrids). If it’s just another electric car, Apple shouldn’t do it at all. Like iPhone was NOT just another smartphone with tiny physical keyboard and stylus, it was significantly better. Autonomous driving comes later, it’s not what initially makes Car significantly better.
I think you’re on the right lines there. Apple only enters a market when it’s product is clearly differentiated from existing products.
Apple has shown a lot of interest in innovative battery technologies and if they solve the problems affecting existing batteries, it leaves clear blue water between Apple and everybody else.
I have multiple views on Tesla’s progress in self-driving cars. 1) Tesla has made significant progress in their Full Self Driving (FSD) beta over the past year. On the Hyperchange channel on Youtube you can see videos of FSD in action, showing major improvements but relevant glitches (eg- almost driving into the support columns of the Seattle Monorail, or being totally confused by orange cones in construction areas) . . . 2) On the “fantasy” side, there are Tesla fanboys who think that they will be able to rent out their FSD Tesla, and it will drive around town all day like an Uber, making money for them . . . 2a) In my opinion, there is no way that government regulators will allow this in the near future. Why? Let’s say that your Tesla gets “confused” in the Home Depot parking lot, and can’t get out, blocking traffic. Who is responsible for your Tesla? Are you going to catch a bus across town to move your Tesla? . . . You can imagine the many ways in which this could go wrong, and until there is some type of system in place to manage the anomalies, we’re not going to see Tesla FSD taxis anytime in the near future.
Test question – what energy source powers a Tesla, or a future Apple car?
I’ve been driving a FSD Model 3 for 2 years. Autopilot has evolved and relieves close to 90% of the stress of driving highway as long as you live by the motto – never fully trust it. It does weird things especially after updates like break when there is someone on the right side of you as you’re passing (better now for awhile). It can abruptly turn into curb when if misinterprets lines. FSD in a word SUCKS! After reading about this “pre-alpha” version, I’m taking myself off the waiting list.
The other major issue is that the way customer/technical service is set up is probably worse than anyone else. Once you get a hold of someone, they are highly competent. Everything is through the app. They don’t take phone calls.
For now it’s the best car I’ve ever driven. If Apple makes a better car, I’m switching!