Apple has reportedly updated its goals and ambitions for its coveted Apple Car.
According to people familiar with the matter, via Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, Apple is pivoting away from its goal of creating a totally driverless car to an EV with more limited features, essentially going down from Level 4 autonomy to Level 2+ autonomy.
In addition, Apple reportedly pushed the Car’s release date. The EV was expected to launch sometime in 2026. It is now expected that Apple will unveil the vehicle in 2028.
NEW: Apple has scaled back its electric car plans at a make-or-break moment for the project, moving from Level 4 to Level 2+ self-driving and delaying a planned launch from 2026 to 2028. https://t.co/Fn4tniGvek
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) January 23, 2024
Apple has reportedly worked on the Car, codenamed Titan, since 2014, and it can position Apple as one of the strongest companies in the world. The tech giant has realized that making a Level 4 autonomous vehicle isn’t easy, and it is rethinking autonomous features to be more in line with the capabilities of current Tesla vehicles.
According to its initial plans, the vehicle would have been able to drive on highways in approved parts of North America under most conditions without the need for human intervention. Now, considering that Apple has toned down its ambition, the Apple Car will most likely require drivers to pay attention to the road, with their hands on the wheel, very similar to current Teslas.
The EV will include a steering wheel and pedals, contrary to previous reports indicating that the vehicle wouldn’t include them.
Bloomberg‘s report also states that once the Apple Car is out, Apple will likely work on an upgraded vehicle with Level 4 autonomy.
You can read more about the change in plan here.
Source: Bloomberg
