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Apple Has Addressed One of the Biggest Apple Car Roadblocks

Apple does not discuss its strategy regarding its automotive expansion, yet a new report reveals the company has just moved a step closer to making the Apple Car real.
Apple wants the Apple Car to boast a living room on wheels 10 photos
Photo: Vanarama
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The Cupertino-based company has finally found a supplier for LiDAR sensors, which are essential for the self-driving capabilities of the vehicle.

LiDAR sensors are used by autonomous cars to scan their surroundings and detect every little object. Using laser information that bounces back from objects around the vehicle, the central unit can determine their speed, direction, and even shape. Eventually, a self-driving vehicle would also be able to distinguish objects, being able to tell apart another car moving in the same direction from a pedestrian planning to cross the street.

Apple wanted the Apple Car to launch with full self-driving capabilities. As such, the company needed the most advanced LiDAR sensors on the market.

Securing deals with component suppliers has so far been quite a challenge for Apple. Last year, the company explored several partnerships with battery suppliers. The iPhone maker is known as a firm that performs rigorous testing of the supplied components, especially as it enforces high quality standards to partners.

The search for a LiDAR supplier started a long time, and now it looks like Apple has finally managed to find a company to provide it with such sensors. Taiwanese company Guangda is currently in pole-position to become the main LiDAR supplier for the upcoming Apple Car.

Most likely, however, Apple is also exploring other backup deals, as the company rarely works with an exclusive supplier for its products.

If Guangda sounds familiar, it’s because the Taiwanese company is already supplying LiDAR systems for the iPhone. It uses components from Lumentum and Win Semiconductors to build the LiDAR technology that enhances the camera performance of the iPhone.

Apple is trying to mimic the iPhone supply strategy for the Apple Car as well. The company wants to use its existing partner network for as many components as possible, especially because these suppliers already meet its quality requirements.

According to people familiar with the matter, despite Apple addressing the LiDAR supply challenge, the Apple Car could launch without full self-driving capabilities. The vehicle might embrace a more conventional approach at first, with autonomous driving to only be offered on highways. The car could also come with a traditional cabin that includes a regular driver’s seat and pedals.

Apple originally aimed to reinvent the car interior with a living room on wheels design. The vehicle, however, needed full self-driving capabilities, and now it looks like the company needs additional time to get such features ready for the first version of the Apple Car. As such, a revised model with full self-driving support could launch later this decade.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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