Apple is targeting 2024 for production of the fabled Apple Car, according to a new report that claims the company’s plans are alive and well.
Sources talking to Reuters say an Apple-made passenger vehicle will also include a breakthrough battery technology that could “radically” reduce the cost of the battery and boost the overall range capability from a single charge.
A “monocell” battery design could enable Apple to include more matter in the product thus allowing it to cover more miles without the need to be replenished. One source speaking to Reuters said Apple’s new technology was “next level… like the first time you saw the iPhone.”
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While there was a period of sustained silence over the so-called Project Titan initiative, rumours and speculation have again begun to circulate again over the last few weeks.
Today’s report says Apple’s progress has been ‘uneven’ since Project Titan was established in 2014, while the last couple of years has seen the team significantly trimmed. Reuters reports Apple is now going full throttle towards production by the middle of the decade. The report reads:
“Since then, Apple has progressed enough that it now aims to build a vehicle for consumers, two people familiar with the effort said, asking not to be named because Apple’s plans are not public. Apple’s goal of building a personal vehicle for the mass market contrasts with rivals such as Alphabet Inc’s Waymo, which has built robo-taxis to carry passengers for a driverless ride-hailing service.”
The report also says Apple plans to deploy a manufacturing partner to help it assemble the cars, rather than establish its own auto factories. Sources also say that Apple may yet decide against building its own car and license its homegrown autonomous driving system to other players in the space.
Apple would enter an increasingly competitive market space, led by Elon Musk’s Tesla, which is finally realising its profit-making potential after years and years of toil.
One source speaking to Reuters, who formerly worked for Apple on Project Titan said: “If there is one company on the planet that has the resources to do that [match Tesla], it’s probably Apple. But at the same time, it’s not a cellphone.”
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.