It will take at least five more years to create an Apple electric car with autopilot, Hyundai may start production
At the end of last year, the topic of Apple’s preparation of its own electric car was quite actively discussed, but informed sources believe that it will appear in five or seven years, not earlier. While the developers of the company are at the initial stage of the corresponding project.
Bloomberg announced this with reference to its own sources. A small team of specialists is working on the creation of an electric car at Apple. If earlier they focused on the autopilot system, now they cover a wider scope of work – from creating the interior to developing the exterior design of the car. The team included several people with Tesla experience.
According to participants in the process, who wished to remain anonymous, work is now progressing slowly, and the restrictions imposed by the pandemic are partially to blame. If things go on like this, then Apple’s first electric car will see the light of day in five or seven years. The company develops the automatic control system independently, starting with sensors and ending with software. Ideally, Apple’s electric car would have to move the owner to a given location with minimal or no human intervention.
The source explains that Apple retains the ability to outsource its autopilot system to third-party automakers. In the event that the company abandons the idea of producing electric vehicles under its own brand, it will offer its partners its autopilot system. Apple’s electric cars could also be produced by some third-party company. According to the original source, there are now several hundred engineers in the Apple staff with experience working on the autopilot system, the majority of specialists create software, not hardware.
Job openings in recent months suggest Apple needs specialists in automotive electronics and acoustics, headlights, and high-voltage power systems, indicating a powertrain for electric vehicles. In the depths of the Apple team, a special Arm-compatible processor with the possibility of machine learning is being created, which will form the basis of the proprietary autopilot system. Now Apple’s fleet of prototypes, which cruise on public roads in California under the supervision of test drivers, has 66 vehicles.
Recent statements by Hyundai Motor representatives in an interview with CNBC added fuel to the fire. According to this source, the Korean automaker admitted to negotiating with Apple about the possibility of contract production of electric vehicles of this American brand at its facilities. In addition to Hyundai, Apple is considering other potential partners. Against this background, shares of the Korean automaker rose in price by 20%.
