Apple plans self-driving electric car by 2024: Report (Representational pic)
Tech giant Apple is planning to venture into the automobile sector. According to media reports, the iPhone maker is working on a concept to develop a self-driving car.
The report said that Apple could launch the proposed car by 2024. It said that Apple is also working on its own battery technology that will be integrated with the new passenger vehicle.
If reports are to go by, Apple started working on the concept back in 2014. The company gave the name of ‘Project Titan’ to its auto venture. However, the company shelved its plans in 2016. Apple is now starting afresh on the idea.
Notably, Doug Field, an Apple veteran who had worked for Elon Musk's Tesla, returned to oversee the project two years ago. At Tesla, Field headed programmes that drive the development of new vehicles. Apple has since then made significant progress to manufacture a passenger vehicle.
If Apple makes a breakthrough in a new battery design, it will drastically reduce the cost of batteries and thus the vehicle's. Besides, it will also increase the vehicle's range.
Notably, to cut the cost of electric vehicles, a company needs to produce a cheaper battery that drives the car. This is not an easy task as it will have a direct impact on the vehicle’s overall performance. Several key players including Tesla are working on a detailed plan to reduce the cost of electric vehicles.
Apple’s entry into the automobile sector assumes significance as its CEO Tim Cook had in past called the self-driving car project as the “mother of all AI” projects.
The Cupertino headquartered company’s latest move also pose a direct challenge to Tesla which is in the business for the last 17 years.
The concept of self-diving car is not quite popular because of the security risks. Although Tesla offers self-driving feature in limited models, it requires a human intervention. According to tech mogul Elon Musk, the full self-driving is the future and that Tesla is rewritten its Autopilot software.
