Tag: Apple Car

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Apple reportedly ramps up testing of autonomous driving vehicle features

Apple is reportedly testing its Autonomous Driving features on California’s roads, according to data from the California DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles), via AppleInsider.

The California DMV requires companies to register key details such as the number of drivers and vehicles used for autonomous driving testing. Apple has 67 vehicles and 201 drivers registered for testing autonomous driving features on public roads, the DMV says.

According to MacReports, Apple had 196 authorized testers in January 2023 and has since added five new drivers to test the Autonomous Driving features. The DMV’s data indicates that Apple is not a part of the list of driverless testers that is testing for completely autonomous cars with no drivers. However, the company is committed to testing self-driving cars with a driver present. Apple is registered alongside other manufacturers such as Mercedes, Waymo, Tesla, Nvidia and Zoox.

Apple reported one minor collision during the first quarter of 2023, in which the vehicle’s tire and rim made contact with a curb, and authorities were not involved. Since registering, Apple has reported a total of 16 collisions in California.

Rumours of an Apple Car have been swirling for years, with the company reportedly working on autonomous driving technology and even acquiring self-driving car startups. Apple’s car layout includes a steering wheel and pedals, contrary to previous reports indicating that the vehicle wouldn’t include conventional car control input.

The car will reportedly be powered by a custom Apple chip and will feature a price tag under $100,000 USD (roughly $137,000 CAD), ensuring it’s a luxury vehicle. The Apple car isn’t likely to come out before 2026.

Source: California DMV Via: AppleInsider

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Apple Self-Driving Software almost takes a turn for the worse on a jogger

Apple’s desires to create a fully self-driving vehicle have been in motion for a while, with the company expected to launch it sometime in 2025, as reported back in November 2021.

However, Apple’s autonomous car project, also known as “Project Titan,” seems to have almost hit a jogger earlier this year, according to a report from The Information. The car had to be controlled by backup to intervene during several tests, including the one that almost hit a jogging pedestrian.

The vehicle was travelling at about 15 mph (about 24 km/h) before the backup driver got involved and emergency stopped the car before nearly hitting the pedestrian. Instead of making a stop, the car changed its path.

In 2017, modified Lexus vehicles were tested by Apple at a robo city test track in Arizona, which included lidar sensors made by Apple instead of using Velodyne’s, also mentioned by The Information.

According to some sources, Apple’s autonomous vehicle is a four-seater and includes a curved ceiling. In a report by TeslaNorth, Apple is said to want the vehicle to lack a steering wheel and brakes, which sounds very nerve-racking considering the vehicle almost hit someone.

The final version of the Apple car could hit the roads as soon as 2023 as part of the testing phase; however, it looks it needs more work.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Sources: The Information Via: TeslaNorth

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Mobile Syrup

Apple reportedly wants to launch a fully self-driving car by 2025

While the fact that Apple is rumoured to be developing an electric car is old news now, a new Bloomberg report suggests that the Cupertino-based company is shifting its focus to creating a fully self-driving vehicle.

Apple has been working on two vehicle development concepts according to reports: one with limited self-driving capabilities and the other with full self-driving features. The Bloomberg report suggests that Apple will now follow the latter route under Apple Watch software executive Kevin Lynch’s leadership.

The report states that Apple initially laid down a five to seven-year roadmap to launch the vehicle, but it now aims to launch its self-driving car sometime in 2025. Further, the tech giant aims to create a car without a steering wheel or pedals and an interior designed for hands-free driving. According to Bloomberg, Apple’s car will seat passengers along the sides of the vehicle facing one another.

The car will be electric, with a globally compatible integrated charging system, allowing Apple vehicle users to access a worldwide network of chargers (brick not included, of course 😝).

The reported 2025 launch year is flexible and depends solely on Apple finishing its autonomous model on time. Apple is said to have completed much of the “core work” on the car’s processor. If the reported deadline isn’t met, Apple could delay the launch or launch a vehicle with fewer features.

Source: Bloomberg