For several years, the best engineers and developers in California have been actively working on the project called “Apple Car”, the future electric and connected car that will soon be marketed by Apple. If the information is very rare, we still get some crisp details on what is happening behind the scenes!
bad news
At the beginning of the Apple Car project, the Cupertino company wanted to offer a very innovative vehicle with fully autonomous driving and the deletion total of flying and pedals. After several years on the project, Apple finally realized that it is not possible to sell such a vehicle in our time. According to a recent Bloomberg report, Apple has scaled back its ambitions for the Apple Car project, no more extravaganzas where the car owner sits in and doesn’t act at any point in the journey and up to things serious !
The latest information obtained by the American media implies that Apple would be closer to a vehicle as we know it today from Tesla and other electric car manufacturers. We will obviously find a steering wheel, pedals and autonomous driving, but not totally.
Indeed, Apple would estimate that at the launch of its Apple Car, it will not be possible to offer a real competitor to Tesla’s fully autonomous driving which has already been possible in the United States for some time.
The Cupertino company realized this during multiple tests in the streets of San Francisco and other cities in California: there are still too many vagueness And errors from the software to offer 100% autonomous driving where the user will just have to be vigilant behind the wheel.
The report explains, however, that in its debut, the Apple Car will provide a “driving assistant”, in other words the vehicle will be able to double a car on a highway, keep safe distance recommended with the vehicle in front of you… Expect “basic” functionality when the Apple Car is launched. Tesla will probably be relieved to see that the Californian giant failed to do better than its Autopilot when the first model of the Apple Car was marketed!
Apple’s car will also be able to alert users when it believes it has exceeded its limits in autonomous driving. The driver will have a visual and audible warning to invite him to take over the manual controls, this will occur when you arrive on national roads, in towns or when the weather is bad (shower, snowfall, fog, etc.).
A custom processor designed by Apple
Like the Mac, iPhone and iPad, the Apple Car will include a specialized processor designed by Apple to support AI capabilities. The chip is almost ready for manufacturing and has the performance of four of the most advanced Mac CPUs. It will feature a unique set of LiDAR sensors, radar sensors and cameras that can provide the car with information about its position, lane and orientation in relation to other vehicles and objects in its environment.
Another major advance, Apple is planning a “remote control center” to help Apple Car owners who may have difficulty with the new vehicle. As an ISP could do with an internet box, Apple will be able to remote control your car to help you. Of course, the user will first have to give his authorization (or even enter a code) on the dashboard so that a third person can take control.
The launch of the Apple Car is still confirmed at 2025, Apple still has a lot of work to do and the engineers are all mobilized to prevent the project from falling behind schedule and being pushed back again. The Cupertino company would be determined the idea of competing with the giants of the automotive sector!