Apple’s electric car development has been a discreet affair but the company is reportedly pulling its socks to expedite the launch of the vehicle. A new report from Bloomberg has cited some insiders stating that the Cupertino tech giant is aiming for a launch as early as 2025. Earlier, the company was planning a development period of around five to seven years.
Apple is not only looking to launch an electric car with some autonomous features, it is planning to launch a car that can completely drive itself. So much so, that Apple also has plans to skip the steering wheel and pedals. However, the company is yet to finalize any details about the omission. Apple may provide an emergency take over mode.
The Cupertino-based company plans to build the seating of the car in a way similar to a limousine with passengers facing each other instead of the front of the vehicle. Apple has also brought in talent from ‘Lifestyle’ EV start-up Canoo which has built cars with a similar seating experience.
The report suggests that Apple is considering two options with its first electric car. The first option is that Apple launches a car with just self-driving features, which is the case with current options in the global market, such as Tesla. The second option is to provide a completely new segment of car which won’t need any human intervention at all. Project leader Kevin Lynch is inclined towards the second option, according to the report.
Apple, being a non-automotive company, is expected to enter partnership with other vehicle manufacturers such as General Motors. Apple is however, working on building its own chipset to run the vehicle. The home grown chipset will be able to make all the necessary computations for self-driving but the engineers still need to develop a good enough cooling system.
Apple is tight-lipped about any of the development surrounding the electric car and there has been no official confirmation whatsoever. Readers are advised to take the info with a grain of salt. If Apple is not able to deliver in accordance with its 2025 schedule, it might either opt to debut with an electric car that has features much like a Tesla or else extend the launch timeline.
The post Apple self-driving electric car debut may happen as early as 2025: Here’s what you should expect appeared first on BGR India.
