Everyone writes that Apple will soon release a self-driving car. I don’t believe it, and here’s why

In mid-November 2021, another rumor about the release of Apple Car appeared on the network. Interestingly, they were shared by a truly authoritative publication Bloomberg, which is distinguished by regular publications of truthful leaks from Apple’s activities. According to journalists, the company aims to bring Project Titan, which is just connected with the car, to its logical conclusion closer to 2025. Moreover, it is assumed that the vehicle, which will go into production under a well-known brand, will be autonomous. Despite all the love for Apple and many sensible products that saw the light only with its submission, there is a certainty that it will not succeed. The world is not ready for autonomous vehicles, and the conditional “today” is far from the best time to produce even an ordinary electric car from scratch.

To this topic:

• Self-driving cars in 2020: who is developing them and why Tesla is not ideal;
• Why self-driving cars are still not on the roads: 5 main reasons.

Apple wants to launch a self-driving car without a steering wheel

But no country in the world has suitable laws for this.

It’s a pity, but the laws are very far behind technology. However, they can also systematically slow down their rapid development, which may not lead to anything good. In any case, it is important to understand that no country so far allows autonomous vehicles of the 5th level of autonomy to move independently on the roads. Here, in a nutshell, what each of them suggests:

1. The driver has full control over the direction of movement of the vehicle. But the vehicle has assistive systems that help the person behind the wheel. Speech, for example, about the primitive cruise control with a basic speed limit and the lane keep assist.
2. At this level, the motorist still independently drives a vehicle on the road, but he has additional opportunities. It’s not just about basic cruise control, but also about automatic speed reduction and lane change.
3. The third level of autonomy is currently used in Tesla electric vehicles. Within its framework, the vehicle can already move independently for some time, but there must still be a driver in the driver’s seat who can pick up the steering wheel at any time.
4. This level of autonomy, which today practically has not been reached by any automobile company in the mass segment, including due to the current legislation, differs from the previous one by the absence of the need to be behind the wheel. You can just stay in the salon.
5. The final level of autonomy assumes the absence of a steering wheel in the vehicle as a kind of atavism. Yes, from time to time in different countries of the world self-driving cars and buses of this type appear, but so far, like on rails, they move only along pre-beaten routes.

In the rumors that have recently appeared on the network, we are talking specifically about fully autonomous Apple cars. Given that today no country in the world is ready to fully accept such vehicles (even the United States), it is difficult to say exactly how the company plans to move in the indicated direction. Moreover, even Tesla, which is a pioneer in this direction, has not yet reached even the 4th level.

Apple hires tons of top automotive professionals

But they leave the walls of the manufacturer with the same speed.

Internet detectives actively use LinkedIn to control the flow of new employees that Apple regularly recruits. One of the company’s most recent acquisitions is Christofer “CJ” Moore. Previously, he led the direction of autopilot at Tesla, so he immediately attracted public attention with his new position in an equally well-known company. However, it is important to understand that Apple is not only gaining but also losing a huge number of employees associated with self-driving vehicles: Doug Field went to Ford, and Jaime Waydo went to Cavnue. This clearly hints that the company is not doing as well as it might seem at first glance.

Apple develops its own battery for electric vehicles

But even Elon Musk himself laughs at rumors about him

In 2020, Reuters said that Apple is on the cusp of a really significant discovery – the company, it seems, has practically developed a single-cell battery for an electric vehicle. With the help of it, it seems, it should be possible to radically reduce the cost of electric vehicles and significantly increase the driving range on a single charge. Moreover, according to rumors, Apple should have used lithium iron phosphate in such batteries, which is noticeably safer when compared to lithium-ion solutions. However, all this questioned by Elon Musk in person – he noted that Tesla tried both approaches, and they are far from always effective. It’s all to blame for the low voltage at the output, which is not enough.

Apple is better than others in coping with the semiconductor crisis

But even she will not be able to overcome it 100%.

According to statistics, in 2020 Apple became the world’s # 1 semiconductor buyer, occupying about 12% of production capacity. This is largely due to the continued success of the AirPods category, which continues to be at the top, according to Gartner. However, it is important to understand that the massive launch of a new electric vehicle, which also assumes self-control, will require much more capacity in the semiconductor industry. In the current realities dictated by the pandemic, this state of affairs does not seem particularly plausible. The automotive industry is in a deep hole precisely because of the semiconductor crisis, and Apple simply cannot overcome this issue, even with a lot of desire and personal participation.

In general, it is likely that Apple is actively developing software for cars and even working towards self-driving. But, most likely, we are talking about participation in the activities of any of the specific well-known brands in the context of software. Perhaps the company is planning a continuation of Car Play on a fundamentally different scale, but anything more today raises doubts.

Source: TNW.