Apple’s Project Titan would no longer be a fully autonomous car, but “simply” capable of driving itself on the highway.
Apple has, it seems, not yet finished revising its plans downwards concerning its electric car. Bloomberg reports that the vehicle, codenamed Project Titan, would no longer be no longer a fully autonomous car. It would have a steering wheel and pedals and could only drive itself on the highway. The apple brand would also have postponed the launch to 2026.
Apple’s Project Titan would no longer be a fully self-driving car
This car would however offer enough autonomy to be able to play video games or watching videos on the highway, but you should take control again when you get to town or if the weather is bad enough. Apple would launch this technology in North America first before extending it to other markets.
The Project Titan has been in development for many years and has suffered many significant setbacks and strategy changes. The Cupertino company reportedly had doubts at the start of 2015 and canceled the project in 2016, in favor of an autonomous driving platform sold under license to other manufacturers. Management changes and layoffs did not help. And if the company had returned to its original intention of a fully autonomous vehicle, according to the rumorsit did not manage to find an agreement for production with brands like Hyundai.
but “merely” able to drive itself on the highway
More modest ambitions would therefore be on the agenda. Full Level 5 autonomy – a vehicle that can drive itself in all circumstances – does not exist today. Even Waymo’s robotaxis are only allowed to operate if the weather is good in California. There is also the question of legal authorizations. While more and more states are welcoming self-driving cars, there is still no legal framework that would allow the general public to use fully self-driving vehicles. Even if Apple solved all the technical challenges, it could not deliver them as is right away.
A switch to a design semi-autonomous could lead to fiercer competition. Whether Tesla has long been considered Apple’s main rival, the electric vehicle market has grown significantly in recent years. Brands like Ford, Hyundai, Volkswagen and Rivian are already well established. Apple would enter an already crowded segment and there is no guarantee that it will manage to stand out.