Apple’s self-driving car project is reportedly still going forward despite encountering some hurdles on the road. A new report from The Information today reveals that the eight-year automotive project has been affected by several management changes, with “constantly-shifting goals” and a possible lack of support from top management.
The original report is paywalled, but 9to5Mac shared the most interesting details about the project missing a “singular figure who can clearly define and articulate what the product should be.” Apple CEO Tim Cook has been said to be “unwilling to commit to mass projection of a vehicle,” with SVP of software engineering Craig Federighi also expressing some doubts about the project.
The report includes interviews with 20 employees and also detailed Apple’s struggles to create demo videos for CEO Tim Cook and other Apple executives. In one of the demos recorded in August 2021, Apple had several prototypes drive a 40-mile trek from Bozeman to the ski resort town of Big Sky, but complications soon followed.
“The good vibes following the Bozeman demo didn’t last long. Apple’s test vehicles, which are modified Lexus SUVs, struggled to navigate streets near its Silicon Valley headquarters without the maps, smacking into curbs and sometimes having trouble staying in their lanes while crossing intersections, according to two people who worked on the program,” the report reads.
Jony Ive, Apple’s former chief design officer who’s still employed by the company as a consultant is also reportedly involved in the design of Apple’s self-driving car prototypes. According to the report, Ive told the team working on the Apple Car that it should “lean into the weirdness” of the car’s design and “not try to hide its sensors.”
The latest design of the prototypes is said to use “four seats that face inward so passengers can talk to one another and a curved ceiling similar to the roof of a Volkswagen Beetle.” Moreover, the team has also been working on a trunk compartment that automatically rises and lowers when users need to access it. Other design ideas being discussed include “large screens that rise from behind the seats and lower when they aren’t in use.”
While the project is still years away from being ready, Apple is believed to be working on a new test vehicle that may look more like the final version of the Apple Car the company wants to mass-produce for consumers. This new design could start being tested on the road as early as next year. In the meantime, Apple is also working on the next generation of Carplay, which will make its debut in new vehicles coming late next year.
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