Apple's plans to launch self-driving vehicle is being scaled back. The tech giant is also abandoning its idea of developing a fully autonomous self-driving car, the media has reported. The iPhone maker is postponing the official launch of the Apple car to 2026, says to a report by news agency Bloomberg.
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The report cited people familiar with the matter and added that Apple is now planning a less-ambitious design that will include a steering wheel and pedals and only support full autonomous capabilities on highways, as present technology does not reconcile support the company's vision. Initially, the company planned a car without steering wheels and pedals.
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Last year it was reported that the tech giant was planning to launch its electric car as early as 2025 and focusing the project on full self-driving capabilities. Internally the project was named "Titan". The vision for the car was to offer “Level 5” autonomy, the pinnacle of self-driving technology, which no automaker has attained, the report noted.
The car is in the “pre-prototyped” stage and the final design is not confirmed yet. The California-based company now expects the vehicle to enter testing in 2025. It said that Apple is now estimated to price the vehicle under $100,000 (which roughly translates into Rs 82 lakh), down from earlier estimates of over $120,000 (roughly Rs 1 crore).
The car’s design team is led by Ulrich Kranz who has previously worked for renowned carmakers like Canoo, Tesla, Lamborghini, and Porsche. The software team is led by former Tesla manager Stuart Bower and safety engineering, testing, and regulatory matters are handled by ex-Ford Motor Co. executive Desi Ujkashevic, the report noted.
Although the iPhone maker hasn’t discussed the car's plan in public, the hiring of the top talent in the field over the years has left little to the imagination.