Fresh Apple Car rumors suggest that the company is curtailing its aspirations for the project. According to a Bloomberg report, what was once reported to be a fully-autonomous vehicle that would cost more than $120,000 is now said to be less than $100,000 with only semi-autonomous features.
The report has some credibility since it was penned by Mark Gurman, who has been accurate with Apple rumors in the past. However, he cites “people with knowledge of the matter.” Anything reported after those words should be taken with a grain of salt. Plus, the reported launch date is late 2026, which is a very long time for tech development, and Apple has shifted focus for its automotive project since first taking it on in 2014.
Other details revealed by Gurman include that Apple has abandoned its plans to exclude a steering wheel and pedals from its car. And limit the self-driving features to the highway, and force manual control for bad weather and crowded traffic conditions. He also reports that the company is developing a custom chipset based on high-end Mac processors to power the car. The vehicle is also expected to include LiDar Scanners, radar detectors, cameras, and other tech to enable it to detect road hazards, people, and other vehicles on the road.
The reported price point of the Apple Car would put it in line with the entry-level version of the Tesla Model S and the Mercedes-Benz EQS. However, pricing is still wildly variable since Apple has yet to secure a manufacturing partner. Bloomberg reports that testing of the vehicle will begin in 2025.
Sources: Bloomberg via XDA Developers, MacRumors, and Digital Trends
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