The image is by Alex Castro.
According to Mark Gurman, Apple has finished most of the core work on a new processor that will power its secretive electric car project. Apple is said to be speeding up its timetable for the self-driving car it is developing, with a new target of launching it in just four years.
Gurman says the most advanced component that has been developed for the project so far is the chip that Apple designed. According to the report, the company is getting ready to put the chip through its real-world paces in its fleet of test vehicles in California and hopes to make a vehicle with stronger safeguards than what is available from Musk and his team.
After multiple pivots, the goal is to create a car that does not have a steering wheel. Canoo has promoted a limousine-style seating arrangement in its electric van prototypes. Apple was in talks to acquire Canoo at one point, and recently hired one of the startup's co-founders, as reported by The Verge earlier this year. A large, iPad-style touchscreen display will run a user interface similar to the one on the Apple device.
The business model is still undecided. Gurman reports that Apple may sell the cars to individuals, rather than trying to create a self-driving fleet to compete with other companies.
Apple is not looking to develop a proprietary charging cable for electric vehicles, according to reports. It wants to make the vehicle compatible with the CCS standard, which would allow it to be charged at most public fast charging stations.
The project has been changed many times over the years, which was started in the year 2004. Kevin Lynch took over Project Titan earlier this year. The refocusing and timeline shift reported by Bloomberg could be a sign that there is progress being made with him at the helm, or it could just be the newest footnote in whatever the project turns into next.
