Regarding Apple’s intentions for an electric, self-driving vehicle, rumors have been circulating for years.
The most recent rumor, which surfaced on Tuesday and was confirmed by a typically trustworthy source, claims that Apple has scaled back its plans for an autonomous vehicle, but some details have not yet been decided.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has changed to a “less-ambitious design that will include a steering wheel and pedals and only enable full autonomous capabilities on highways,” marking a “major shift” for the project.
Apple is now believed to be eyeing 2026 as the year after what previous sources had revealed as the projected vehicle’s expected delivery date. Gurman’s sources suggest that Apple hasn’t yet finalized on a design for the car, though this should happen sometime in 2019. The Bloomberg story stated that features should be decided upon the following year, with thorough testing beginning in 2025.
They also needs a manufacturer to assist it in creating the car, though. A number of manufacturers have reportedly held discussions with the digital giant, according to recent reports, but it’s thought the firm is still looking for a partner.
Apple had been rumored to be working on a fully driverless car without a steering wheel or pedals, but it seems that technological difficulties and legal restrictions have forced Apple to choose a different path.
Gurman stated that the corporation is hoping to sell the automobile for “less than $100,000,” down from an earlier figure thought to be approximately $120,000, and cited sources with knowledge of Apple’s car project, which reportedly comprises 1,000 staff spread across four locations in three countries. This would place Apple’s vehicle in the same price bracket as the entry-level version of the Tesla Model S, as well as the EQS from Mercedes-Benz.
