The history of the Apple Car has been one of many twists and turns. Rumors of trade deals, industry partnerships and vehicle specifications have swirled since rumors of an Apple-produced car began several years ago, and the tech company, known for its penchant for keeping things under wraps, often dispelled false information quickly. quickly as you gain traction. Although Apple has all but confirmed that it is working on a self-driving car project (codenamed Project Titan), many big questions remain unanswered. Will it be a real Apple car? Will it be technology that we can buy and put in our own vehicles? Will hardware and software be licensed to third party auto manufacturers? Or will it be part of an Apple service to transport us in self-driving cars? In this guide, we take you through everything we know about Apple's car so far, including what we hope to see when it finally hits our roads, plus all the latest news, rumors, leaks, and updates. Silicon Valley Apple Car update. planned vehicle project.
Come to the point
- What is it? Apple's car, possibly an electric vehicle, could be autonomous
- When did it come out? In short: nobody knows
- How much will it cost? It is not clear at the moment, but expect a high price
Apple Car release date
In short: nobody knows. Indeed, Apple has yet to find an automaker to partner with on the project, and the question of which car brand to do business with has been the main topic of conversation - and controversy - surrounding the vision. Apple Car. As far back as May 2018, Apple was reportedly in talks with German auto giant Volkswagen to produce an autonomous shuttle van based on the T6 Transporter utility vehicle, a program that is expected to lead to the development of an Apple car. for the mass market. . But after a series of high-profile test failures and employee leaks, the partnership between the two companies has stalled and little has been revealed about it.This is the car that #Apple uses to test the technology of its autonomous car. Story with @mhbergen. https://t.co/jHLnJDRjoS pic.twitter.com/zTezUmcZwCA April 27, 2017 More recently, we thought the tech giant was in promising talks with Hyundai about producing the autonomous electric vehicle. We then reported rumors that Apple had, in fact, signed a manufacturing agreement with Hyundai subsidiary Kia that would bring the Apple Car to market in 2024. Unfortunately, in typical Apple fashion, another report surfaced suggesting that Apple had called off talks with Hyundai and Kia, and the company turned to several Japanese automakers in a bid to finally implement its ambitious electric vehicle projects. to bear fruit. In 2021, it seems that Apple is still looking for a partner for the project. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently claimed that the Apple Car might not launch until 2028 or later given the impasse in negotiations, so expect to wait a long time to see it on the road. Not surprisingly, however, the collaboration has been a sticking point for the company. Although it is considered the most successful company in the world, Apple's expertise lies in developing technology, not making cars. This means it needs help from another organization, but it seems the big car brands have refused to become a small supplier, the way Foxconn is for Tesla, on a vehicle that would eventually carry the Apple name.
Apple Car Specs and Expectations
Despite the stagnation in production, the Apple Car project has been in continuous development for several years, which means there are semi-concrete rumors (caution should always be exercised with Apple) regarding the characteristics of the next potentially electric vehicle. The first is its autonomous nature. After the problems with Volkswagen in 2018, it was reported that Apple will focus on developing autonomous software for vehicles, rather than an entire vehicle on its own. In June 2019, Apple acquired self-driving car startup Drive.ai, further suggesting a commitment to ensuring that its vehicle debut, be it its own vehicle, software for other cars, or Apple's transportation service. , be self-sufficient in nature. Also, while Apple does its best to keep the plans secret, patent applications and regulatory filings provide factual information about its activities. The reported patents include an in-car system that warns drivers of what a self-driving car would do, as well as, perhaps most interestingly, a car window that can alter its transparency and tint. The latter suggests an attempt by Apple to incorporate technologies that could fit into a single car window, those that allow passengers to see out but are shielded from those looking in. Even more exciting are the patent's alleged automation features, with sensors that allow the window to vary its tint, or reflectivity, in response to external weather conditions, such as when the sun hits the road. Ironically, another Apple patent application, discovered in March 2018, also suggests plans to remove all windows from the car. The patent details how passengers in a self-driving car could use virtual reality headsets, generating virtual windows with a view of the outside world, or even whatever other world the car's occupants wanted to pass through. Do you want to visit Jurassic Park? Finished. You can even use the VR experience to host a virtual meeting in a virtual office space, according to the patent.
apple car price
Of course, with little to no information about whether the Apple Car will be a vehicle, software, or service, it's nearly impossible to predict how much it will cost. That being said, we can compare the prices of other high-end EVs (we basically mean Teslas) on the market right now to get a clear idea of what to expect from an Apple car. When it goes on sale, the new Tesla Roadster is expected to be the most expensive Tesla available to buy, with an estimated purchase price of around €200,000 (about $145,600 / AU$260,000). Currently, however, the Model X Performance is the most expensive Tesla on the market, with a purchase price of €99,990 (about £72,000 / AU$130,000). While there are no fully autonomous vehicles available for purchase yet, Tesla drivers currently have to shell out €10,000 (about £7,600 / AU$13,000) to add the aforementioned FSD mode to Autopilot, Tesla's advanced driving system. . It's unclear what all this means for the Apple Car. We don't know if it will be aimed at mainstream consumers or if it will be marketed as a high-performance, premium road vehicle, so it's hard to make assumptions based on the competition's pricing. In any case, it should be remembered that Apple is Apple. Regardless of which way the Apple car comes, it's likely going to be expensive.The road ahead for Apple Car
The bottom line: Apple's car is probably still a long way off. It's clear the company has come a long way in developing independent technology and flashy new tech features given its patent filings and road test escapades, but we shouldn't expect to see a marketable Apple vehicle product for some time. The main hurdle for the company remains its negotiation of a deal with a carmaker, and with big names like Volkswagen, Hyundai and Kia potentially doomed to the 'try and fail' pile, it will be interesting to see if the company innovates. . with one of the Japanese brands, it was presented as a result in 2021.
- The Audi e-Tron GT is the most powerful Audi EV yet, and it's a beauty