The rumor mill is spinning when it comes to the Apple Car. Various car manufacturers are said to have entered into a partnership with Apple for the development of a self-driving car and many specifications have already been leaked about the car. Meanwhile, Apple, as we are used to from the company, remains icy silent. What do we really know about Apple’s car? Is a car actually being built?
For years now, Apple has been working on the Apple Car project and as a result there are semi-concrete rumors about the project. First of all, it is known that Apple mainly focuses on self-driving cars. In 2019, the company already took over the start-up Drive.ai, which focuses on autonomous driving cars.
Uber service, car or software?
Whether Apple actually wants to develop a car or only wants to supply the software to make existing cars drive autonomously, that is not certain. There is also talk of a kind of Uber service, where someone can be taken from A to B in a self-driving car.
Furthermore, Apple filed some patent applications, which shows what Apple is doing. For example, a patent was filed for software that would help drivers make decisions while driving. Another patent suggests that there are ideas for a window that can change shade itself. This can be useful, for example, if the sun is shining heavily in your face.
Logically, Apple will want to make sure that there is full integration with iOS, which could mean that you iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch will play a major role in the functionalities in the car of the future.
Battery and LiDAR
Apple is also continuously researching technologies to improve the battery life of its devices and it is therefore obvious that the company will soon play a major role in improving the range of electric cars.
The company is also said to have had various discussions with suppliers of the LiDAR sensors. This technique can already be found in the latest iPad Pro and iPhone 12 Pro and makes it possible to determine distance and depth using small invisible lasers. LiDAR would make it easier for self-driving cars to recognize, for example, walkers or cyclists.
Launch
Another question that concerns everyone is when we can expect the Apple Car. In short: there is no one who can answer that. This is largely due to the fact that Apple has not yet found a cooperation partner for the Apple Car.
Apple initially wanted to work with Volkswagen, but initial tests around a self-driving minivan were unsuccessful. Discussions recently took place with the South Korean Hyundai about the production of an electric self-driving car. Hyundai subsidiary Kia is said to have signed a production deal with Apple for the delivery of the Apple Car in 2024.
Shortly afterwards, however, reports emerged that Apple has ended the talks and is now targeting some Japanese carmakers. In 2021, still no cooperation partner has been found. The usually well-versed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that the Apple Car is unlikely to arrive until 2028, given the deadlock in the negotiations. So it may be a long time before we get more concrete details about the Apple Car.
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