Apple has reportedly scaled back its automotive aspirations, at least for now. Bloombergby Mark Gurman said the company's decade-old vehicle project has evolved from planning a fully autonomous car to an electric vehicle more like You're here. THE so-called “Apple Car” should now be launched at the earliest in 2028, two years later the last target date declared by the company.
The car's autonomous features have reportedly been downgraded from a Level 5 system (full automation) to a Level 4 system (full automation in certain circumstances) – and now to a Level 2+ system (partial automation). This would mean it offers limited autonomous driving features such as lane centering and braking/acceleration assist, while requiring the driver's full attention.
Tesla's Autopilot is classified as Level 2. Level 2+ is not an official designation, but it is sometimes used informally to describe a more advanced version of Level 2.
What Apple once envisioned as a car without a steering wheel or pedals — and perhaps with a remote control center ready to take over for a driver — now looks more like a Tesla-style market entry.
Bloomberg said Apple views bringing the project back in-house as “a pivotal moment.” People familiar with Apple's plans would think that delivering the stripped-down Apple Car with lowered expectations could make or break the entire project. “Either the company is finally able to deliver this product with lowered expectations, or senior management might seriously reconsider the existence of the project,” Gurman wrote.
Apple has reportedly discussed the updated strategy with potential manufacturing partners in Europe. Bloomberg says the company still wants to offer a Level 4 autonomous system at some point, although its early days are on track to becoming something more grounded.
Bloomberg describes the meetings leading up to Apple's decision as “frantic”, involving CEO Tim Cook, Apple's board of directors and Kevin Lynch, project manager. The latter took over after former chief Doug Field left in 2021. (Field was a former Tesla engineering executive who now leads Ford's EV wing.) The board reportedly pushed executives on the auto plan throughout 2023.
After a good start, autonomous cars I didn't have a great year 2023. Cruise, GM's robotaxis division, laid off 24 percent of its workforce in December. This happened after one of the company's vehicles pinned and dragged a pedestrian who had been hit by another car. The consequences were swift, as the California DMV suspended Cruise's driverless licenses For safety reasons. On the brighter side, Waymo seems to be doing well. But government standards are the wild card in this equation, and perhaps Apple saw the wind blowing in a direction that warranted caution.
Apple's Project Titan has been rumored for at least mid-2010s. The company has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on this initiative. He worked on “powertrains, self-driving hardware and software, car interiors and exteriors, and other key components,” according to Gurman. Given how many times the details of an expensive project have changed, don't be surprised if it happens again.
This article was originally published on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-apple-car-apparently-still-exists-could-debut-in-2028-with-reduced-autonomy-203458008. html?src=rss
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