Apple’s long-delayed and controversial automobile project has been trimmed back; the 2026 model will not be fully autonomous.
According to a Bloomberg article, the Apple automobile, internally known as Titan, would have a steering wheel and pedals, which is a step down from the fully autonomous vehicle the company had originally envisioned.
In 2014, it was first rumored that the Cupertino, California corporation was developing an electric car with the same design aesthetic and software prowess as its successful smartphones and PCs.
Mark Gorman of Bloomberg writes that the latest version of the vehicle would have highway-capable self-driving capabilities and will be powered by a system codenamed Denali with a CPU as powerful as ‘approximately four of Apple’s highest-end Mac chips combined’
Apple intends to sell the vehicle for less than $100,000, as opposed to over $125,000.
Bloomberg reports that the vehicle will provide alerts when it’s time to switch back to manual control for city streets or in inclement weather. The vehicle will allow drivers to watch movies and multitask on highways but will notify them when it’s time to return to manual control for city streets or in inclement weather.
Several executive changes have occurred throughout the project’s lifetime, which may have contributed to the delays.
Project Titan has been led by Ian Goodfellow, Bob Mansfield, Doug Field, and Kevin Lynch at various periods.
MacRumors reports that John Giannandrea, head of AI and machine learning, and Kevin Lynch, known for his work on the Apple Watch, are currently in charge of the Apple Car project.
The Apple news website also states that the company would use the cloud for certain AI processing and that it may have a remote command center that may aid drivers and control vehicles remotely in emergencies. It may also provide its insurance scheme for businesses.
Apple CEO Tim Cook, whom the Information stated to have “rarely” visited the project’s offices in Santa Clara, California, is reportedly still interested in developing a car.
Former Apple chief design officer Jony Ive, who was instrumental in the creation of several of the company’s most famous products, is working with the tech giant and has advised the Apple Car team to ‘lean into the quirkiness’ of its design and ‘not try to hide the sensors.’
Earlier this year, the Apple Car team created several elegant demonstration videos, including a 40-mile journey through Montana recorded by drones, to illustrate the project’s development to Cook and other high-level executives.
Despite the delays and downsizing, it is possible that consumers would accept the tech company’s concept for a partially artificial intelligence-powered automobile.
A new survey finds that 26% of drivers would ‘certainly consider purchasing a vehicle from the iPhone manufacturer Apple if it were available.
Strategic Vision, a consulting organization, polled 200,000 new automobile owners and, for the first time, added Apple to the list of more than 45 companies on which respondents may express their opinions.
Only Toyota and Honda scored higher on the brand consideration question, with 38 and 32 percent, respectively, compared to Tesla’s 20 percent.
