Apple’s car is delayed AGAIN: The long-rumored $100,000 vehicle slated for 2026 won’t be fully self-driving because the company can’t realize its vision with current technology
- Apple’s car won’t arrive until 2026 and won’t be fully self-driving, a new report reveals
- Codenamed Project Titan, the vehicle will have autonomous capabilities on highways, but it will also have a steering wheel and brakes
- The car is powered by a system called Denali, which uses a processor as powerful as about four of Apple’s high-end Mac chips combined
- The effort to build a car began in 2014 and has seen numerous executives come and go over the years
Apple’s long-delayed and troubled car project has been scaled back — it won’t be fully self-driving when it arrives in 2026.
The Apple car, known internally as the Titan, will have a steering wheel and pedals, according to a Bloomberg report, marking a step back to the fully autonomous vehicle the company originally envisioned.
The Cupertino, California-based company is said to have worked on an electric vehicle for the first time in 2014 with all the styling cues and software capabilities of its popular smartphones and computers.
The new version of the vehicle will have self-driving capabilities that can be used on freeways and will be powered by a system, codenamed Denali, that uses a processor as powerful as “about four of Apple’s high-end Mac Chips together,” Bloomberg’s Mark Gorman reports.
Apple’s long-delayed and troubled car project has been scaled back — it won’t be fully self-driving when it arrives in 2026. Above: a concept of Apple’s self-driving car
The new version of the vehicle will have self-driving capabilities that can be used on freeways and will be powered by a system, codenamed Denali, that uses a processor as powerful as “about four of Apple’s high-end Mac Chips together,” Bloomberg’s Mark Gorman reports
Apple is reportedly planning to offer the car for less than $100,000 instead of going for over $125,000.
The car will allow drivers to watch movies and multitask on freeways, but it will issue alerts when it’s time to switch back to manual control on city streets or in inclement weather, reports Bloomberg.
The project has seen a number of management reshuffles over the course of the project’s life, which may have caused the delays.
Project Titan has at various times been helmed by Ian Goodfellow, Bob Mansfield, Doug Field and Kevin Lynch.
At one point it was reported that Apple CEO Tim Cook, above, wasn’t interested in Project Titan
Currently, artificial intelligence and machine learning chief John Giannandrea is leading the Apple Car project, and Kevin Lynch, known for his work on the Apple Watch, is also overseeing work on the car, according to MacRumors.
The Apple news site also reports that the company will use the cloud for some AI processing and may have a remote command center that could assist drivers and remotely control cars in emergencies. It could also offer companies their own insurance program.
CEO Tim Cook, who has been reported to have “rarely” visited the project’s offices in Santa Clara, Calif., appears still interested in acquiring a car.
Apple’s former Chief Design Officer Jony Ive, who played a key role in the design of most of the company’s most popular products, is reportedly consulting with the tech giant and has told the Apple Car team to “draw on the weirdness” of its design and not”. Try to hide the sensors.”
The Apple Car Team created several sleek demo videos for Cook and other senior executives — including a 40-mile hike through Montana filmed by drones — to demonstrate the project’s progress earlier this year.
Despite the delays and downsizing, it’s possible consumers will embrace the tech company’s vision for a car powered in part by artificial intelligence.
Apple’s non-existent self-driving car is already being embraced by consumers, as a new survey shows 26 percent of drivers would “definitely consider” buying a vehicle from the iPhone maker.
Consulting firm Strategic Vision surveyed 200,000 new car owners and, for the first time, added Apple to the more than 45 brands consumers could vote for.
Only Toyota and Honda ranked higher when asked about brand consideration at 38 percent and 32 percent, respectively, while Tesla took in 20 percent.
Apple’s non-existent self-driving car is already gaining acceptance among consumers, as a survey shows that 26% of drivers would “definitely consider” buying a vehicle from the iPhone maker.