The so-called “Apple Car” electric vehicle will debut by 2026, cost under $100,000, and will not be a fully autonomous self-driving vehicle, Bloomberg News reports citing “people with knowledge of the matter.”
Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News:
The car project, dubbed Titan inside the company, has been in limbo for the past several months as Apple executives grappled with the reality that its vision for a fully autonomous vehicle — without a steering wheel or pedals — isn’t feasible with current technology.
MacDailyNews Take: Duh.
We can see the Doonesbury strip already.
If Apple ever gets around to releasing the first iteration of their vehicle with “no steering wheel or brake pedal,” they should name that model “Boondoggle.” – MacDailyNews, July 11, 2022
In a significant shift for the project, the company is now planning a less-ambitious design that will include a steering wheel and pedals and only support full autonomous capabilities on highways, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private.
MacDailyNews Take: As Henry Ford said: The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.
Apple currently plans to develop a vehicle that lets drivers conduct other tasks — say, watch a movie or play a game — on a freeway and be alerted with ample time to switch over to manual control if they reach city streets or encounter inclement weather. The company has discussed launching the feature in North America initially and then improving and expanding it over time…
The heart of Apple’s technology is a powerful onboard computer system — codenamed Denali after the tallest mountain peak in North America — and a custom array of sensors. The processor’s performance is equal to about four of Apple’s highest-end Mac chips combined and is being developed by the company’s silicon engineering group. The chip has reached an advanced state and is considered nearly production-ready, though Apple may scale it down before the car’s launch to lower costs…
Apple had expected each car to sell for more than $120,000, but the company is now aiming to offer the vehicle to consumers for less than $100,000, according to the people.
MacDailyNews Take: If Apple can hit the sub-$100,000 mark, they’ll have a huge winner on their hands, even if a good old human has to drive it most times.
Please help support MacDailyNews. Click or tap here to support our independent tech blog. Thank you!