An ‘Apple car’ could arrive as early as 2024, according to a new report. Apple has already made gains in many non-iPhone markets, and it looks like the company is now targeting the self-driving car market as another area for potential growth. What’s more, Apple in the car market could prove to be a viable alternative to Tesla’s seemingly unstoppable rise.
Suggestions that Apple plans to disrupt the car market are nothing new, with rumors like this having surfaced time and time again over the past few years. Not to mention, they have also spanned all areas, from rumors that the company will release an actual Apple car to simply providing software-based solutions for third-party car-makers to use. Of course, Apple does already offer some car-related services, such as CarPlay, making the software rumors a little more grounded in reality.
According to Reuters, Apple is working on a “passenger vehicle” and even plans for production to begin as early as 2024. Citing “people familiar with the matter,” the not-to-be-named sources stated that Apple’s ambitions have evolved enough that it is now looking to bring to market its own car, albeit manufactured by a partner. At the same time, sources suggest there remains the possibility that Apple could change course once again and opt to focus on supplying the driving system. In addition, there's the suggestion that Apple may turn to other companies to provide some of the elements, such as the sensors used to survey and understand the nearby environment. Regardless of whether it's a whole car or just the system, the report goes on to explain that Apple is just as interested in the battery side of self-driving cars, with its in-house solution understood to be designed to “radically” improve efficiency and increase range.
One of the points made in the Reuters report is that, while Apple’s rivals are also actively interested and invested in self-driving technologies, they have primarily been focused on the non-consumer side of the industry. Such as deliveries, taxi services, transportation of goods, and so on. The suggestion Apple is specifically interested in a direct-to-consumer model does seem to tally with how the company approaches products and services in general.
Furthermore, this would place Apple in direct competition with Tesla and not Alphabet, Uber, and others. Which raises the question of just how well Apple might compete in an industry that Tesla seems already seems to be dominating? Arguably, Tesla has a massive head start with millions of vehicles already on the road, even if their self-driving abilities are somewhat limited at the moment due to legal reasons. Of course, 2024 is still some time away and with Tesla electric vehicles already starting to make the transition from manual to full-self driving, it stands to reason that even more headway will be made over the next three years.
All of which may prove beneficial to Apple in spite of Tesla’s market lead. After all, Apple is hardly a brand that is unknown, or untrusted, by consumers. Its emphasis on privacy, reliability and ecosystem consistency will immediately lend itself to a level of consumer trust that other companies have had to develop and earn over years, including Tesla. Not to mention, an Apple car will almost certainly arrive with a level of Apple product and service support and integration that only Apple can provide.
Source: Reuters
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