Apple is moving forward with self-driving car technology. According to the “rumors”, the hi-tech giant, Apple would have decided to produce an electric car equipped with industrialized batteries from the same brand with a design that would reduce its cost and increase the vehicle’s range. It is planning to launch its first passenger car in 2024 using its own technology.
The idea, however, is not new since it is a part of the iPhone maker‘s automotive efforts, known as Project Titan, which had proceeded unevenly since 2014 when it first started to design its own vehicle from scratch. The one with several breaks has been running since 2014. Reuters received information from two people with knowledge of Apple’s plans. The work is said to have progressed so much that the launch of commercial production is already seriously considered.
Apple is creating a “single-cell” design that expands the volume of individual battery cells and frees up space inside the battery pack. This may allow more battery packs to be included in a smaller package, resulting in greater autonomy.
Apple is also studying the chemistry of a battery called LFP, or lithium iron phosphate, which is inherently less prone to overheating and, therefore, safer than other types of lithium-ion batteries. This year, it became public that Tesla is also considering switching to this type of battery, reducing the use of cobalt to reduce costs and increase the level of safety.
2024 is the target, but as reported by various online magazines and published by the Reuters news agency, a possible delay due to the pandemic situation could cause the electric car to be launched in 2025 or even later. The project is handed over to Doug Field, an Apple veteran who worked at Tesla Inc and returned to oversee the project in 2018.
It should be noted that Apple’s goal of creating a vehicle for the mass market would contrast with the analogs already started by rivals such as Waymo of Google’s Alphabet, which has decided to produce a driverless taxi robot. For the moment, there is no comment on the matter from Apple.
