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Apple’s Self-Driving Test Fleet Adds More Drivers, Apple Car Still Due in 2025

As far as Apple is concerned, there’s no such thing as an Apple Car currently in development, and the company’s automotive strategy comes down to other solutions like CarPlay.
Apple Car rendering 10 photos
Photo: Vanarama
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But on the other hand, Apple is working around the clock on refining its self-driving car fleet, and most recently, the company has quietly added more drivers, bringing the overall count to 137 drivers.

Given the number of drivers back in May was just 54, one would be tempted to think that Apple is accelerating the development of self-driving car technologies. And without a doubt, they wouldn’t be wrong.

People familiar with the matter said on several occasions that Apple was planning to launch the Apple Car in 2025, at the earliest, and right now, it seems the same timing is still on the table.

The internally called Project Titan development has reached a point where Apple has to discuss manufacturing deals with partners. Unfortunately, for the iPhone maker, this is where the whole thing got way too complicated.

Originally, Apple wanted a traditional carmaker to handle the process because of obvious reasons. Such a company has the know-how to make sure the production runs smoothly, not to mention they already possess the capabilities to handle the manufacturing process as a whole.

So Apple was involved in such talks with a series of carmakers, including Hyundai, only that all negotiations were eventually dropped. The reason is as simple as it could be: nobody wanted to become a contract manufacturer for Apple.

Right now, this is exactly what Apple is searching for: a contract manufacturer that would produce the Apple Car according to its specifications. A joint venture between Magna and LG seems to be in pole position to secure the contract, though right now, Apple is also believed to be exploring other options.

Of course, the iPhone maker has remained completely tight-lipped on everything, so a certain dose of skepticism is definitely recommended.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
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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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