According to Bloomberg, Apple has rescheduled the debut of its inaugural electric vehicle from 2026 to 2028. The company's venture into electric car development dates back several years, with initial media attention emerging around 2015.
Back then, Apple was purportedly assembling a substantial team to create prototypes and design a minivan-style vehicle. However, almost a decade later, there has been no official acknowledgment of the project from Apple, and the envisioned iCars have not materialised.
Under pressure from the board to clarify its plans in 2023, Apple opted to establish a more practical timeline. Alongside postponing the vehicle's launch, Apple adjusted its autonomous driving goal from level 4 to "level 2+," following the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) scale. Level 4 vehicles operate without driver intervention or even a steering wheel, while level 2+ is comparable to Tesla's full self-driving, maintaining a steering wheel and requiring occasional driver intervention.
Reportedly, Apple's design is still in the "pre-prototype" phase, with CEO Tim Cook involved since the project's inception. The decision to scale back ambitions is seen as a "pivotal moment" for the project, a response to the tumultuous developments in the self-driving car industry in 2023.
While 2023 witnessed significant advancements in advanced driver assistance systems, with Mercedes obtaining approval for level 3 autonomy in California and Nevada, it also experienced setbacks. GM-backed Cruise's ill-fated paid robotaxi service rollout in San Francisco resulted in the withdrawal of all vehicles from service nationwide and the CEO's resignation.
Despite the challenges, the electric vehicle market continues to expand, though major manufacturers anticipate a slowdown in double-digit growth in 2023. Persistently high battery prices limit affordable options for buyers in 2024, as automakers raise prices in pursuit of profitability.
The fate of Apple's semi-autonomous electric vehicle remains uncertain, but the company is reportedly in discussions with potential manufacturing partners about the revised plans. For now, Apple's notable contributions to the automotive industry revolve around CarPlay and crash detection technologies.
