Tech giant Apple is readjusting its expectations, delaying the launch of its car further down the road, as Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. The bigger news here is that the Apple car—one of the most-hyped and mysterious automotive projects of the 21st century—is still in play, despite years of silence.
The “Apple Car” remains shrouded in mystery despite an estimated $1 billion per year investment into what’s known as Project Titan. Not much is known about it, except that Apple has been pursuing automotive ambitions since the 2010s, even poaching talent from the automotive and battery industries, including ex-Tesla employees.
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The hotly anticipated, yet highly mysterious Apple Car
Apple has been secretly developing an electric car to compete with companies like Tesla since the middle of the last decade. It’s never officially announced the plans, and over the years, it’s become debatable whether it will be some sort of commercial robotaxi or a consumer vehicle.
However, reaching this goal has proven as challenging for Apple as it is for any startup.
Initially, Apple aimed for a fully self-driving EV—possibly even a full robotaxi—but according to Bloomberg, it has adjusted its goals several times. Now it’s focusing on a car that assists with highway driving but still requires drivers to be attentive and ready to take over, as reported by the outlet, citing unnamed project insiders.
Apple now aims for a 2028 launch for its car, with Bloomberg adding that just two years ago, the company wanted to roll out the vehicle by 2026.
According to the same report, Apple’s EV project is facing a “make-or-break point,” with sources suggesting the program may be terminated if the latest pivot doesn’t bear fruit.
The driver-assistance system Apple is working on sounds similar to the advanced cruise control systems offered by companies like Tesla and General Motors. Over time, Bloomberg reports, Apple plans to make the car increasingly autonomous. Previously, the company wanted to create a car that could drive on highways under most conditions without human input, but realized it couldn’t achieve that in the near term.
Apple hopes to distinguish its car with a sleek design, safety systems, and a unique user interface, according to Bloomberg. But its focus on EVs comes at a challenging time in the industry.
Since Apple’s car project started about a decade ago, the EV market has boomed. Tesla is now the world’s most valuable car company, in part due to its focus on technology and creating a sleek, Apple-like user interface.
Meanwhile, tech companies are increasingly involved in the automotive industry as software becomes more prevalent in vehicles. Sony is partnering with Honda on a new, tech-packed EV brand named Afeela, and Alphabet’s self-driving taxi division, Waymo, continues to expand its services.
However, developing safe, fully autonomous cars has taken far more time and money than the auto industry previously anticipated. Both Uber and Ford have shut down their self-driving car programs in recent years. An Apple Car, in theory, could be a game-changer simply because of the company behind it, but it’s challenging to predict what it could bring to an increasingly saturated market.
Contact the author: tim.levin@insideevs.com
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