It’s hard to remember how long we’ve been talking about the Apple Car, the car project signed by those from Cupertino and which, according to leaks, has undergone multiple changes over the years. For example, at the beginning of last year it was suggested that Apple would be working with Hyundai Motors, and shortly after that even pointed to the E-GMP platform of this manufacturer as the basis for the Apple car. And then, after several months of silence, new rumors pointed, this time, at Toyota.
In other words, There have been many rumors, plus all those that are to come, but as usual in the brand, surely we will not leave many doubts until the Apple Car is official… as long as the project does not end up cancelled, another option that we should not rule out, although at this time there are no signs in this regard. Secrecy has always been one of Apple’s strengths, so they manage it with great skill.
However, there are common points between rumors and leaks. In this regard, a few months ago we told you that the plans for the Apple Car would happen because it was fully autonomous (level 5) since its arrival on the market. A tremendously ambitious bet, because let us remember that Tesla currently offers level 2, although Elon Musk announced level 3 for this summer and, as you may already know or assume, reaching levels 4 and 5 will be extremely complex.
And yet, it is what a new leak that we can read in MacRumors points to, in which they tell us that Cupertino’s plans would be that the Apple Car does not have a steering wheel or pedals, that it has facing seats and large screens. In other words, the driving experience would disappear completely, turning the car into a cabin for several passengers who only have to tell the car where they want to go and let themselves go.
if we think about it, it makes quite a bit of sense that Apple decided to go for Tier 5 of autonomy before launching the long-awaited Apple Car on the market. If Apple’s history teaches us anything, it is that its specialty is not to reach a market first, but to do so in a truly disruptive way. In the past we have already seen it with its entry into the sector of mp3 players with the iPod, in the mobile telephony sector with the iPhone, in the sector of smart watches with the Apple Watch… the list is endless, and that in In this case, betting on level 5 would be another step in this direction.
The bad news for those waiting for the arrival of the Apple Car is that this can substantially delay it. We have been talking about autonomous vehicles for nearly 10 years and it seems that it is now that we will begin to see the first systems with level 3 autonomy, and let us remember that at level 3 the intervention of a human driver is still essential. Although the investigations accelerate substantially, everything indicates that we will still have to wait a few years before it becomes a reality.
Some predictions point to 2025 as the year of arrival of the Apple Car. Will those from Cupertino be able to complete the development of their autonomous driving technology between now and then? Today it is totally impossible to know, because we do not know its current status. But, even if we assume that it can go hand in hand with Tesla, one of the most advanced on the market, three years seems a bit tight. Not impossible, but very difficult.
