The Vision Pro, representing Apple's current cutting-edge technology and engineering accumulation, has been mass-produced and released, while another highly anticipated car making project is once again facing delays.
The latest progress of this ambitious project is that Apple is about to return to reality, abandoning the L3 level high-speed fully autonomous driving function and switching to L2+assisted driving that drivers can take over at any time, aligning with Tesla's current level. The release date has been further postponed by two years to 2028.
Since being first reported by the media in 2014 to prepare for car manufacturing, the Apple car manufacturing process, codenamed "Titan Project," has gone through 10 years. In some reports from the mid-2010s, Apple predicted that the first car would be released in 2019. The Vision Pro project was approved one year later than the car, but the speed is significantly faster.
Bloomberg reported that after 10 years of development, massive investment, multiple leadership reshuffles and layoffs, this project is at a decisive moment in its success or failure. If the latest transformation does not yield results, Apple's leadership is likely to cancel the car manufacturing plan.
The Apple board of directors also repeatedly pressured CEO Tim Cook and other executives last year to submit a more specific plan for advancing smart car development.
Whether it's external pressure or Apple's innovative revolutionary thinking, Apple's first car needs to become a product that can change the times.
After Tesla changed the history of the automotive industry using internal combustion engines as power trains, Apple shifted its focus on autonomous driving, a disruptive product that could broaden user imagination.
The initial idea was beautiful. Apple initially wanted this car to be completely autonomous without a steering wheel and pedals. To handle the massive data of autonomous driving, this car will also be equipped with the most advanced performance chip developed by Apple to date.
In 2017, Cook made a rare mention of Apple's work in autonomous driving software, stating, "We consider it the mother of all artificial intelligence projects, and it may be one of the most challenging artificial intelligence projects in practical work."
To implement this future technology, Apple has tapped into a large number of talents and executives from automotive and technology companies such as Tesla, Google, and Porsche. Due to hiring a large number of engineers from Tesla, Tesla CEO Elon Musk sarcastically stated, "Apple is Tesla's (engineer's) graveyard."
The Apple car project is one of the company's most expensive research and development projects. Apple spends hundreds of millions of dollars annually on research and development personnel salaries, cloud systems used to control autonomous driving computers, closed road testing, and automotive parts and chip engineering.
Although Apple has released over a hundred automotive patents, this car has yet to enter the formal prototype stage. At the same time, the leader of the "Titan" project has been replaced four times in a row, and team members are constantly losing. In March 2022, Guo Minggui, an analyst at Tianfeng Securities, revealed that the Apple car manufacturing project team had almost completely disbanded.
At the end of 2022, Apple decided to abandon L5 level fully autonomous driving and switch to L3 level autonomous driving, retaining traditional car hardware such as steering wheel, brake, and accelerator pedal, and lowering the price to below $100000. The purpose of this adjustment is to retain the team and achieve the complete vehicle landing as soon as possible.
From the latest developments, it is difficult for Apple's first car to achieve breakthrough progress in autonomous driving, even the short-term goal of fully autonomous driving on highways is difficult to achieve. The FSD V12 version of the autonomous driving software pushed by potential competitors Tesla has been upgraded to an end-to-end neural network, which is equivalent to artificial intelligence controlling vehicle behavior in autonomous driving mode.
A product manager in the automotive industry told Interface News that technological innovation in intelligent driving relies on engineering implementation capabilities and long-term data polishing, making it difficult for Apple to compete with top car companies. The most likely selling point of its first car will still rely on its vast IOS ecosystem, connecting consumer electronics and in car electronics, and providing users with a unique ecological experience.
"This is Apple's strength as a software company, and the intelligent cockpit also provides consumers with a more intuitive sense of change."
Apple has widely applied the in car intelligent system CarPlay in the automotive industry, with partners including approximately 70 car companies worldwide. The latest generation CarPlay released in 2022 can take over all screens, including the dashboard, and adjust the air conditioning, seats, and audio.
Bloomberg reported that Apple, which is shifting its strategy, hopes to make its first car stand out with its stylish design, safety system, and unique user interface.
Apple also finds it difficult to bring innovation from other traditional fields. An engineer specializing in cutting-edge research and development of powertrain told Interface News that the current cutting-edge research in the industry is mainly focused on progressive development, focusing on improving motor operating efficiency and reducing volume. To truly bring disruptive change, there needs to be new breakthroughs in the materials industry, such as finding superconducting materials that can be mass-produced and applied in the industry.
The automotive industry also relies on long-term accumulation of technology, talent, supply chain, channels, and production manufacturing, while Apple lacks manufacturing experience. This company has been in talks with multiple car manufacturers for OEM cooperation, with potential partners including traditional car companies such as Hyundai, Mercedes Benz, Honda, Volkswagen, Ford, etc., but none of them have followed suit.
Apple cars are revered as Apple's "next star product," but users have been waiting long enough, and they will have to wait for another four years.