Everyone’s favourite tech company has been quietly working on a move into the automotive industry, but the electric Apple Car is still a few years away yet, according to a new report from Bloomberg. Not only has the Apple EV been delayed, but the Cupertino-based tech giant is also reportedly scaling back plans for it to be entirely self-driving, despite previous reports that understood Apple wanted the car to arrive without pedals or a steering wheel.
Known as “Project Titan,” the first reported estimates slated the car to be ready by 2020, which was delayed by a year in 2016, likely due to the departure of project leader Steve Zadesky. While Apple has stayed extremely tight-lipped about the project and the pace of its progress, analysts closely following the development of the electric car has continued to push the predicted release date further into the future, with the most recent projected timeline to see it announced in 2026.
Apple and electric car fans might have to wait a few more years, but for those who were excited to drive the EVs themselves, the news that Apple is no longer looking for the vehicle to be entirely self-driving is positive. According to Bloomberg, Apple is “planning a less-ambitious design that will include a steering wheel and pedals and only support full autonomous capabilities on highways.”
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This highway self-driving will be made possible thanks to an array of lidar and radar sensors that read the road in front of the car, using a processor codenamed Denali. It’s also understood that Apple won’t be turning to Chinese-based manufacturers for the battery technology required for its electric car, instead considering Japanese technology firms such as Panasonic Corp.
Finally, while yet to be confirmed from Apple, the Bloomberg report also understands that the new Apple Car will arrive with a model that will cost less than US$100k (AU$147k). While far from the most affordable electric car on the market, it remains in line with the debut EV from Tesla, with the Tesla Roadster also costing close to US$100k when it was first announced in 2008.
