Aiming to solve a technical challenge that has troubled the whole auto industry, Apple has accelerated its own electric car development, while refocusing the project around full self-driving capabilities, Bloomberg is reporting.
Citing people familiar with the matter, the publication adds that Apple engineers are now concentrating on full self-driving ability that doesn’t require human intervention. Under the leadership of Apple Watch software executive Kevin Lynch, Apple is “chasing a holy grail within the industry,” the sources said.
Tech and auto giants have spent years on autonomous vehicles, but the capabilities have remained elusive. Even market leader Tesla is still years away from offering fully autonomous cars.
Apple is internally targeting a launch of its self-driving car in four years, faster than the five- to seven-year timeline that some engineers had been planning for earlier this year. But the timing is fluid, and hitting that 2025 target is dependent on the company’s ability to complete the self-driving system — an ambitious task on that schedule.
The sources also noted that if Apple is unable to reach its goal, it could either delay a release or initially sell a car with lesser technology.
Want to see more of our stories on Google?
P.S. Want to keep this site truly independent? Support us by buying us a beer, treating us to a coffee, or shopping through Amazon here. Links in this post are affiliate links, so we earn a tiny commission at no charge to you. Thanks for supporting independent Canadian media!
