[blackwasp]

In 2015, it was reported that Apple was to start developing its own autonomous vehicle. Now, media reports indicate that the company has partnered with Volkswagen for the development of self-driving vehicles based on the T6 Transporter van.

According to a media report, Apple's car project is running behind schedule and has seen a reduction in the total number of employees working on this from a peak of 1,000 workers over two year ago. The partnership with Volkswagen is likely to see Apple add its software in the vans and use them as employee-shuttles in the Cupertino campus.

Initially, Apple had tried to get partners who would supply them with chassis and wheels, but later asked for wholly built cars on top of which the company would retrofit its sensors and use custom software. It was reported that the company bought two Lexus SUVs in late 2015 and retrofitted them with sensors.

In 2016, it secured a permit for autonomous vehicle testing in California, leading to an increased testing fleet of 55 SUVs. However, Lexus was not a partner and Apple looked at Magna Steyr, BMW and Mercedes. The company also met Nissan, in Japan, BYD Auto in China and McLaren in Britain, but the partnerships didn't materialise.

Apple partnered with Volkswagen after the dieselgate incident. The German company was also lagging in the development of self-driving cars. It is reported that a lab near Turin, Italy run by Volkswagen subsidiary Italdesign, will convert the T6 vans into electric self-driven vehicles. All these will not just have a driver, who can take over the controls of the van, but also another person monitoring the van's performance.



Source - New York Times

Link to the Team-BHP News

[libranof1987]

Some developments in Apple's autonomous cars division:

Apple has cut over 200 employees from Project Titan, its stealthy autonomous vehicle initiative, people familiar with the group tell CNBC

Apple executives have been mum in recent months about the company's car prospects, which appear to have been scaled back from the initial rumored vehicle to a focus on software. In 2016, Apple laid off employees from the same group, shifting its strategy. Fully self-driving cars remain experimental, even for major players in the field such as Waymo, Cruise and Tesla.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/24/appl...cle-group.html

[srishiva]

If at all Apple's effort leads to a actual car and not just a system supplier for making car autonomous, they could have 'apple antenna' in place of shark fin

[bejoy]

Apple seem to be targeting 2024 for starting the production of it's self driving car.

(Reuters) - Apple Inc is moving forward with self-driving car technology and is targeting 2024 to produce a passenger vehicle that could include its own breakthrough battery technology, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

As for the car’s battery, Apple plans to use a unique “monocell” design that bulks up the individual cells in the battery and frees up space inside the battery pack by eliminating pouches and modules that hold battery materials, one of the people said.

Apple’s design means that more active material can be packed inside the battery, giving the car a potentially longer range. Apple is also examining a chemistry for the battery called LFP, or lithium iron phosphate, the person said, which is inherently less likely to overheat and is thus safer than other types of lithium-ion batteries.

”It’s next level,” the person said of Apple’s battery technology. “Like the first time you saw the iPhone.”

Source :

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-a...-idUSKBN28V2PY