A recent report by Reuters had suggested that Apple will launch its first all-electric self-driving car in 2024. However, a new analyst report argues that it is unlikely that it will happen before 2025-2027.
Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at TF International Securities, whose research notes often provide a solid look at Apple's future plans, believes that the Apple Car development is still in its early stages. Since its specifications are yet to be finalised, he said that he would not be surprised if Apple pushes the launch to 2028 or even later.
“Our latest survey indicates that the current development schedule of Apple Car is not clear, and if development starts this year and everything goes well, it will be launched in 2025–2027 at the earliest,” he said.
We recently reported that the company’s latest strategy for the Apple car is centred on a new battery design that could “radically” reduce the cost of batteries and increase the vehicle’s range. Also, the company has decided to use outside partners for elements of the self-driving system, including “lidar” sensors, which help self-driving cars get a three-dimensional view of the road.
Project Titan, which focuses on the development of the Apple car, was started in 2014, but it has encountered multiple hiccups along the road. If the Californian company will be able to bring this project to fruition, it will be interesting to see how it will measure against Tesla’s new Self-driving software.