Apple Car early rumors: Release Dates, Features, Specs

Advertisements

Even though the electric car industry is growing at an exponential rate, the concept of having an Apple Car is still quite tempting. This project has been ongoing for some time, but so far Apple hasn’t had anything to show for their efforts.

image via autoevolution

It’s not only Apple Glasses and Apple VR/AR headsets that may be “the next big thing.” The Apple Car is also a possibility. In addition, Apple isn’t the only company making cars now that it’s a computer company. The Apple Car, on the other hand, does not seem to be coming any time soon.

Even as the electric car industry becomes more competitive, the thought of owning an Apple Car is really tempting. “The next big thing” is what Apple needs to keep the world’s attention focused on in the face of declining iPhone sales.

Advertisements

If the reports about the Apple Car are accurate, and it is a fully self-driving vehicle, it may be just the thing. Rumors have been circulating for years, but Apple has never issued an official statement. However, the Apple Car is real, even if it won’t be available for some years.

However, this isn’t just any automobile; it’s a special one. Apple is said to be working on a self-driving vehicle that is completely independent. However, the Apple Car is reported to be a vehicle you can purchase and keep in your garage rather than one that you can call through an app. This is nothing new. If Apple is able to pull this off, it will be a massive thing.

Many people are enthusiastic about the possibility of owning an automobile powered by Apple in the next several years, despite the lack of information at this time. You’ve come to the correct spot if you’re one of them. All the latest information about the Apple Car, including rumours, leaks, and the release date, is here.

Advertisements

Rumors about the Apple Car’s release date

In terms of when we may be able to get behind the wheel of an Apple Car, the company hasn’t said anything expressly so far. That is, if you can refer to piloting an automated vehicle as such.

A new report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman alleges that Apple is planning a 2025 launch date for its next-generation products. After repeated delays, Cupertino has apparently accelerated development of the project, which would fit with prior rumours of when the Apple Car may be released.

It’s probable, though, that if the product fails to match the company’s very high standards, it will be delayed.

Advertisements

Apple has reportedly decided to develop the Apple Car on its own, rather than working with an established automaker, according to recent reports. A third-party partnership seems to be off the table as the corporation tries to prevent any more delays.

This rumour should be treated with scepticism, since automotive manufacturing is much more difficult than smartphone design. Though it’s unlikely that we’ll see the Apple Car before 2022, things are looking up for the time when we could see it.

Features of the Apple Car

Rather than being a conventional electric vehicle, the Apple Car is an autonomous self-driving vehicle. LiDAR sensors will be installed in the vehicle so that it can “see” its surroundings while navigating.

Advertisements

Even while LiDAR is already included in certain high-end Apple iPhones and iPad Pro models, nothing so far indicated that it will make an appearance in the Apple Car.

(Image credit: YouTube/AutoEvolution)

As the name implies, the LiDAR technology uses pulsed lasers to measure distances. After hitting an item, the lasers will bounce back to the car’s sensors, allowing it to build a map of the surrounding region and determine how far away certain things are.

However, practically every self-driving vehicle on the market makes use of LiDAR. Only Tesla is using a computational vision system instead of LiDAR.

Advertisements

As a result, the Apple Car will need a significant amount of processing power, which according to expert Colin Barnden might come from a “C1” CPU. Based on the A12 Bionic chip found in the iPhone XS, Barnden expects this device to have AI-focused capabilities.

However, MacRumors points out that this rumour is extremely speculative, and it would be weird for the Apple Car to be powered by a six-year-old CPU in 2024. In spite of the A12’s impressive performance, it seems very improbable that Apple would choose to use such an outdated piece of technology.

Instead, according to Mark Gurman, Apple is planning to employ its most cutting-edge CPUs in the Apple Car. To fuel the car’s AI algorithms, the chip is said to be mostly composed of neural processors.

Advertisements

According to Gurman, because the Apple Car is designed to be ‘hands-off,’ the company will put its attention on the interior design, which will have an infotainment system and interaction with Apple’s current suite of services.

According to what we’ve heard, the Apple Car’s monocell battery technology is what sets it distinct. The battery pack in the Apple Car is expected to have larger cells as a result of this, which should result in a greater driving range on a single charge.

Apple is also said to be using lithium iron phosphate in its batteries instead of the conventional lithium-ion solution, which is less prone to overheating. As a result, the vehicle should be more safer.

Advertisements

The first hint at a potential design was also disclosed in a new patent. Like Mercedes’ Magic Sky, the Apple Car may include a “variable opacity” technology that allows the driver to adjust how much light enters the vehicle. Furthermore, according to the patent, this roof can be retracted when the side windows are opened, something Mercedes’ does not claim to be able to achieve.

Apple’s self-driving car, the Apple Car

It has long been speculated that the Apple Car would be some form of self-driving vehicle. But it was never clear whether this would be limited autonomy, like the Level 2 systems already in use, or if Apple was aiming for genuine self-driving cars that didn’t require any human intervention.

(Image credit: USPTO/Apple)

Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test Company (OSAT) is a South Korean firm that Apple has worked with to produce semiconductors for the Apple Car’s autonomous driving system, according to TheElec. Even though Tesla Autopilot was compared to in the research, this is still a long way from from becoming really autonomous driving.

Advertisements

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claims that Apple has been working on both systems, but has lately integrated the efforts into a single autonomous vehicle.

An apparent objective is to create a “hands-off” driving experience that does not allow a human driver to operate the vehicle in any way whatsoever. In other words, a level 5 autonomous system. Engineers have apparently been hired by Cupertino to evaluate and design safety elements that would allow this technology to be permitted on the roads.

As well, it’s been reported that Apple is on the lookout for software developers who can work on “experiences for human engagement [with] autonomous technology]” In order to get their minds off of driving.

Advertisements

You may be able to use the Apple Car as an Uber-like service, although that’s not exactly apparent. According to earlier speculations, it would be the latter, but either way, it’s going to be a major adjustment for today’s drivers.

Apple’s self-driving car is being developed somewhere.

Many people are aware that Apple is a computer firm with no previous expertise in the automobile industry. As a result, the idea of it developing the Apple Car on its own is ridiculous.

Outsourcing production to a separate firm with the necessary resources is more probable. It’s been stated that many of the world’s automakers are reluctant to become involved with the Apple Car.

Advertisements

No one wants their business to become “the Foxconn of the auto industry,” as the Taiwanese firm famous for producing iPhones and other items under that company’s name is known.

LG and Magna, a Canadian car components producer, are now considered the frontrunners for Apple Car development. When it comes to Magna, it’s not known which of its factories will be utilised to manufacture the Apple Car.

This need for any battery partners to build the Apple Car’s batteries in the United States has allegedly generated some friction between Cupertino and certain possible Chinese battery suppliers.

Advertisements

According to reports earlier this year, Hyundai was the frontrunner for the Apple Car, but it has since been stated that Hyundai is not interested in producing a vehicle under another company’s brand. As a substitute, Kia was invited on board, with the intention of producing the Apple Car at its facility in Georgia, according to reports.

After the news of the proposed agreement was disclosed, Apple “paused” negotiations and began hunting for a replacement partner. Although there have been indications that the Kia agreement isn’t dead, we haven’t heard anything good in the months afterwards.

He also said that Apple was collaborating with Hyundai to adopt the E-GMP battery electric vehicle platform. This will be the initial chassis for the Apple Car. GM and PSA, the European automaker, are both potential partners for Apple’s upcoming Apple Car debut in foreign markets.

Advertisements

None of these collaborations have worked out. According to reports, Apple is now turning to South Korean manufacturers for the components and batteries needed to create the Apple Car. This suggests that Apple may still be considering building the Apple Car in the United States if past claims regarding its manufacturing circumstances in that country prove to be accurate.

This is what an Apple Car might look like:

There aren’t many photographs of what an Apple-designed automobile may look like yet, since we’re still early in the development cycle for the Apple Car. This is why we have concept designers coming forwards to fill up the gap between vision and actuality.

From the designer Leasefecher comes one of the most daring concepts we’ve seen thus far, which depicts Apple cars based on some of the most popular Apple goods. We like the one that combines a Nissan GT-R with an iPhone 12 Pro, but Leasefetcher also has some interesting ideas based on the first iMac and iPod.

Advertisements

An Apple Car 3D model, made by Vanaram, claims to be based on legitimate Apple patents. However, we are certain that the Apple Car will be drastically different from this concept car, which is hideous in every way.

Several reports have claimed that the Apple Car would be an all-electric car, however this design contains three pedals and a big front grill.

The history of Apple’s electric car, the “Apple Car.”

(Image credit: Vanarama)

Apple has been working on an automobile since 2014, when it was codenamed “Project Titan,” with the stated objective of making it available to the public in 2020. Obviously, that never occurred, but sources indicate that significant progress is being made in the development of the Apple Car.

Advertisements

In several parts of California, we’ve seen what seems to be an Apple-affiliated car testing self-driving technology. We don’t know what these automobiles were doing since Apple has always kept the intricacies of its products under wraps, as it does with everything else.

For sure, these automobiles were not utilised to gather data for Apple Maps, which is something we know for sure.

The hire of engineers from Mercedes, Tesla, and other significant automobile companies reveals Cupertino’s automotive aspirations. A large number of employees being laid off, however, suggests that the Apple Car development process has not been without its bumps.

Advertisements

The first wave is said to have arrived in 2016, while another 200 are said to have been removed from the project in January 2019. Although it was alleged that management didn’t truly know where the self-driving vehicle project was heading, it is unclear what occurs in both circumstances.

In early 2021, according to a Bloomberg article, Apple Car would have lost three executives. Dave Scott, Jaime Waydo, and Benjamin Lyon, who worked on the original Apple Car team, were among the leaders of the robotics, autonomous driving safety, and regulatory teams. This is exacerbated by Doug Field’s departure from Apple to competitor carmaker Ford, who was in charge of the Apple Car project.

Several months later, according to a Bloomberg article, Apple snatched Desi Ujkashevic from Ford’s hands. Ujkashevic has been with Ford for 31 years and has worked on a variety of projects, including interior and exterior design, chassis development, and electrical system design. When it comes to autonomous driving, she was most recently the worldwide director of vehicle safety engineering.

Advertisements

Layoffs and departures are unlikely to have a significant influence on Apple Car development, given estimates that the project has employed tens of thousands of people. Even if the Apple Car does come before the end of the decade, we’ll never know for sure.

What Apple has stated about the Apple Car

In general, Apple keeps a tight lid on upcoming goods, and this is no exception. In a recent interview with Kara Swisher’s Sway podcast, Apple CEO Tim Cook stated that the automobile industry had attracted his company’s attention.

Cook stated, “We look into so many things internally.” “Many of them are lost to history. Certainly, one may be expected.”

Advertisements

That said, Cook hinted that if the company gets into automobiles, it would not just develop a software arrangement and give it over to an automobile manufacturer. At our view, the magic is in the confluence of hardware, software, and services, and we’re always looking for new ways to bring things together.” “Cook made the remark. “As a result, that’s what we’re all about! As a result, we’d want to possess the underlying technology.”

Leave a Comment