Topline
A secretive plan for an autonomous vehicle created by Apple— which the tech giant has never publicly acknowledged—is changing course, according to Bloomberg, which reported the company has scrapped supposed plans for an autonomous vehicle without pedals or a steering wheel.
The Apple logo is displayed on the facade of an Apple store in Saint-Germain on December 3, 2016 in … [+]
Key Facts
The project—said to be codenamed “Titan”—has reportedly been ongoing since 2014, but it’s long been unclear exactly what the design of the car might be or when vehicles might hit the market, as Apple keeps plans close to the vest and limited information is based on leaks.
Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, reported Tuesday the company has shifted its focus toward a car that has a steering wheel and pedals, with full autonomous driving only available on highways, after determining a full rollout of solely self-driving cars is unrealistic given existing technology.
Apple is also pushing back the date for any launch to 2026, according to Bloomberg, marking the latest reported delay following several other purported target dates for a car—some as early as 2019.
The design remains in the “pre-prototype” stage, Bloomberg reported, with plans for autonomous capabilities now focused on letting motorists do non-driving tasks on highways, while being prompted to take back manual control on smaller streets and in bad weather.
Apple’s stock following Bloomberg’s story, dropping more than 2.5% Tuesday afternoon to $142.92, outpacing the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite, which went down 2%.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Forbes.
Contra
General Motors, Alphabet and Amazon are all working with regulators to move forward with plans for autonomous robotaxis without pedals or a steering wheel, which the companies envision as competitors to Uber and Lyft ride-hailing services in cities.
Key Background
Rumors have swirled for years that Apple has ambitious plans to move into the auto industry and position itself as a competitor to Tesla, which has been at the forefront of self-driving innovations. Moves like the reported hiring of longtime Lamborghini executive Luigi Taraborrelli earlier this year have only served to increase anticipation. But skepticism has grown in recent months over the future of self-driving cars, with Ford CEO Jim Farley saying during an October earnings call, “profitable, fully autonomous vehicles at scale are a long way off.” Tesla CEO Elon Musk also tempered expectations for fully self-driving cars during a third-quarter earnings call, saying Tesla vehicles are not “quite ready to have no one behind the wheel.” Tesla is reportedly under both federal criminal and Securities and Exchange Commission investigations over claims about the safety of its driver assistance systems.
Further Reading
Apple Scales Back Self-Driving Car and Delays Debut Until 2026 (Bloomberg)
SEC Investigating Tesla Over Autopilot Safety Claims, Report Says (Forbes)
Tesla Under Federal Criminal Investigation Over Self-Driving Car Claims, Report Says (Forbes)
Lamborghini Executive Joins Apple For Secretive Car Project (Forbes)
Apple Car Project ‘Titan’ Stirs In Shadow Of Google’s Self-Driving Efforts (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/12/06/apple-scraps-plans-for-car-without-steering-wheel-or-pedals-report-says/