Apple’s electric car is planned to be released in 2026: This is what is known about the Tesla killer

When the technology giant started working on “Project Titan” in 2014, the basic idea was to make a fully autonomous car with no steering wheel or pedals. As Mirabaud wrote in his research, with reference to articles by the Bloomberg agency, Apple said goodbye to it at the end of 2022.

Autonomous driving remains a dream

Now Apple’s car can only be driven partially autonomously. This means that the driver is allowed to take his hands off the steering wheel and read a book or watch a movie on the highway. In the city or in emergency situations, a person needs to take the wheel again.

This corresponds to level three on the five-level scale of autonomous driving. And that would be something already available from Mercedes and BMW.

When it comes to electric cars, German premium manufacturers may still be lagging behind. But when it comes to autonomous driving, the Germans are already ahead of industry leader Tesla.

Because BMW and Mercedes have received permission from German authorities for their luxury cars such as the 7 Series BMW so that the customer can completely delegate the driving to the computer, as the German newspaper “Handelsblatt” recently reported. Customers can then watch movies or respond to emails while driving. In the event of an accident, manufacturers want to take responsibility if the computer makes a mistake.

However, the system is currently only approved as a motorway congestion pilot for speeds up to 60 km/h and only in good weather. Mercedes and BMW want to gradually increase the maximum permitted speed in the coming years to 130 km/h in the long term. This will enable autonomous vehicle journeys on the highway.

Tesla also advertises the cars’ ability to accelerate and brake autonomously. However, in Tesla’s car, the driver must always keep an eye on traffic and intervene in an emergency. Even if the vehicle is driving itself, the driver is responsible for all maneuvers. This level is called the second level of autonomous driving.

empty words

True autonomous driving is extremely complex. US tech giants have dramatically underestimated the challenges. Tesla boss Elon Musk promised in 2016 that his vehicles would be able to operate fully autonomously in “less than two years.” This is still not the case today. Ride-hailing providers Uber and Lyft have already abandoned their goal of developing an autonomous car. Most automakers have given up on their ambition to produce a fully autonomous vehicle at level five.

Therefore, it seems understandable that Apple also adapted its goals to reality. Apple relies on radars, cameras and so-called Lidar systems for control. Lidar stands for “Light Detection and Ranging” and is an optical remote sensing technology that uses laser light to closely scan the earth’s surface and obtain highly accurate X, Y, and Z measurements. Tesla, on the other hand, has relied solely on cameras so far.

Apple is already testing its technology in California, but instead of futuristic Apple cars, converted white Lexus SUVs are driving on California streets.

The technical core of the car from Cupertino is said to be a high-performance computer system called “Denali”, named after the highest mountain in North America. The new super chip is said to be as powerful as Apple’s four high-end chips for the Mac. According to the report, the new super processor is almost ready for production.

In addition to onboard hardware, the vehicle will also be powered by an artificial intelligence hosted by Amazon Web Services. This alone costs Apple $125 million a year.

Rumor has it prices are around $100,000

It’s unclear how much money Apple has already invested in the car project. Estimates put the figure at between $10 and $15 billion. And there are only rumors about the design – undoubtedly one of Apple’s strengths. All images of i-Car in circulation are third-party designs.

An indication that Apple’s car project is going pretty badly can also be seen in the wear and tear of the boss. Kevin Lynch is currently directing the project; fifth project leader in nine years. Lynch is also responsible for the Apple Watch operating system at Apple. According to Mirabaud research, Lynch must finally get the project, with scaled-back goals, across the finish line: to the market.

Accordingly, it is now planned to be released in 2026. Its price is estimated to be around $100,000. This means Apple’s car will compete with luxury-class rivals like the Tesla S, BMW’s 7 Series or Mercedes’ EQS. Apple is reportedly considering offering its own insurance for its own car when it launches.

Unlike Tesla, it seems unlikely that Apple will establish its own automobile production. As we all know, people from Cupertino do not spend long time on ordinary tasks such as sheet metal bending. Almost every manufacturer is considered a manufacturing partner at one point or another: the list ranges from BMW and Mercedes to Nissan and VW and, finally, Hyundai.

Therefore, it is still unclear what range and performance the i-Car may have. And ultimately, it is these basic features that decide whether electric cars will succeed or fail. Even if it has an apple logo on the back.