Apple car to arrive in 2026 without full self-driving capability
What's the story
US tech giant Apple's plans of launching its first car have suffered a setback, as the vehicle has been reportedly postponed to 2026. The company has also decided to scale back on the self-driving features in its pet project, internally codenamed "Project Titan" as it grapples with the constraints of reality. To recall, the firm's automotive aspirations began in 2014.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The demand for autonomous vehicles will only grow in the coming years, and Apple wants to capitalize on this trend. However, the path to market domination will not be an easy one. Companies like Xiaomi, Amazon, and Google are also eyeing this sector. Apple has had a rough journey but that's expected since the automotive industry is not an easy place.
List
What features will the Apple car offer?
Earlier, Apple wanted its car to offer 'Level 5' autonomy. It would not have had any steering wheel or pedals, and passengers would reach their destination without any input from a driver. Now, the brand will introduce a steering wheel, a brake pedal, and an accelerator in the vehicle. Autonomous driving will only be supported when traveling on highways.
Mechanism
How will autonomous driving work?
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman described how Apple's car would work. "Apple plans to develop a vehicle that lets drivers conduct other tasks — say, watch a movie — on a freeway and be alerted with ample time to switch over to manual control if they reach city streets or encounter inclement weather." He added that the feature would first be introduced in North America.
Design
What will the car look like?
Apple has been working on its car for a long time but has not settled on a design yet. It is still in the "pre-prototype" stage. The Cupertino tech giant wants to finalize the design of the four-wheeler next year. Meanwhile, its feature list will be finalized by the end of 2024 and testing will commence in 2025.
Information
How much will it cost?
Earlier, Apple wanted to sell its car in the US for over $120,000 (around Rs. 99 lakh). Now, the company wants to bring down the cost of the vehicle to less than $100,000 (roughly Rs. 82.5 lakh).