Apple is adding a new moniker to its “i” series, and this time it’s the Apple Car. From the first iPod to computers, pens, and phones, the tech mogul is stepping up their game. With their stocks up by 2.85%, why not?
Their goal is to produce a passenger vehicle by 2024, complete with the world’s best battery: a “breakthrough” one. This ambitious design aims to radically reduce the cost of batteries and increase the vehicle’s range.
“[We’re] focusing on autonomous systems. It’s a core technology that we view as very important. We sort of see it as the mother of all AI projects. It’s probably one of the most difficult AI projects to actually work on. We’ll see where it takes us. We’re not really saying from a product point of view what we will do.” – Tim Cook, for Bloomberg
Watch out Tesla, a new competitor is entering the ring for self-driving cars. Not only that, but Chrysler and General Motors will be getting a run for their money as well. This idea from the Tim Cook company comes from attempting to diversify their revenue with the slow launch of the iPhone 12. When the Pencil came out, we all thought it was a joke. But someone had to do it. I can only imagine what Apple will come up with next–perhaps a smart house?
While the Apple Car, aka “Project Titan“, gets kicked into high gear, we eagerly await the spoiler photos. Did you know that this plan actually started back in 2014? The company pulled back its efforts on it to focus more on software. Whatever reignited the flame for this, it’s going to be interesting. It took Elon Musk two decades to figure out how to make self-driving cars that sustain a profit. Sourcing and production for the Apple project are going to be a huge undertaking.
So, How Is This Going To Work?
Along with lithium iron phosphate batteries, the unique monocell design will eliminate pouches that hold battery materials. This way it will boost the individual battery cells to free up space inside the battery pack. This may put Uber and Lyft services out of business if self-driving taxis become a thing as well. No further details have been reported about the assembly process, location, or timeline. Though, the car is rumored to be equipped with lidar sensors to help with a 3D view of the road.
It’s possible they may attempt to make their own sensors as well. They need to have a high volume and keep up with demand quotas to sustain profit. We’ll see how they compromise with production. Stay tuned!