According to a new report, Apple has developed the chip modules and packages for the autopilot functions of its rumored Apple Car with the help of an OSAT company based in South Korea.
The Apple Car concept is based on patents.
Suppliers often provide OSAT to partners that are involved in the assembly, packaging and testing of integrated circuits. The project started last year and is expected to be finished in three years.
The South Korean OSAT firm was working on the module for a chip that operates the autopilot function, much like those used by Tesla, sources said.
Such chips, which oversee AI computations, usually integrate a neural processing unit, CPU, GPU, memory as well as camera interface among other functions.
The project is said to be led by Apple in South Korea. The report states that Apple chose the South Korean OSAT firm to fulfill the order after receiving the bill of material rights.
The report claims that the assembly line for the Apple Car will be provided by the construction of all-electric vehicle plants in the U.S. and Thailand. The suggestion that the plants will be used to mass produce Apple's self-driving vehicle has not been substantiated.
Apple representatives are said to have visited South Korea in the summer of 2021 to meet with local suppliers, as part of the process of selecting suppliers for its long-rumored electric vehicle.
A heated battle is said to have been fought to get a place in Apple's supply chain because of Apple's interest in Korean manufacturers.
The selection of suppliers for Apple's vehicle is expected to be completed by the end of the year, and the company will begin full-scale development and mass production within the next two to three years.
The Apple Car is expected to be ready for launch by the end of the 20th century, according to an Apple analyst. The launch schedule is expected to be extended to later in the decade.
According to Mark Gurman, work on the Apple Car is in the early stages, but Apple is aiming for a 2025 launch.
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