22 Dec 2020 11:49 am
Appleâs Project Titan resurfaces, with autonomous car utilising next-gen battery tech planned for 2024 intro
It looks like Apple isnât giving up on the idea of building its own self-driving car. The tech giant first delved into that possibility back in 2014, with what would eventually be known as Project Titan emerging into the news a year later.
The was no shortage of manpower and resources put into the initial effort, but despite the big dreams, progress was patchy, and by 2016, the plan to come up with a complete vehicle was ditched and the programme scaled back. The focus was then realigned to developing software and an autonomous driving system, and last year, more than 200 personnel were removed from the project, suggesting that Titan would never see the light of day.
That is far from the case, because word is that an Apple vehicle is apparently coming, and itâs due sometime in 2024. Citing sources familiar with the matter, Reuters reports that the company is targeting to produce an autonomous passenger vehicle that could include its own breakthrough battery technology.
Sources told the news organisation that the iPhone makerâs project has reportedly progressed enough that it can proceed to build a vehicle for consumers. The company also has a new battery that could âradicallyâ reduce the cost of batteries and increase the vehicleâs range, said another source who has seen the battery design.
The planned battery will feature a unique âmonocellâ design that bulks up the individual cells in the battery and frees up space inside the battery pack by eliminating pouches and modules that hold battery materials. This means that more active material can be packed inside the battery, giving the car a potentially longer range. Apple is also reportedly looking into lithium iron phosphate (LFP) technology.
The company isnât going the whole route by itself. The planned vehicle might feature multiple lidar sensors for scanning different distances, and while some sensors could be derived from Appleâs internally-developed lidar units, the sources reveal that the company is tapping outside partners for elements of the system.
It also isnât known who would assemble the potential vehicle, but the sources said that the company is expected to rely on a manufacturing partner to build it. Previously, the company had been in discussions with Magna International about building a car, but this fizzled out as Appleâs plans didnât progress, a person familiar with that effort revealed.
The sources added that there is also the possibility that Apple could decide to reduce the scope of its efforts to an autonomous driving system that would be integrated with a car made by a traditional automaker, rather than it selling an Apple-branded vehicle.
The report adds that two people with knowledge of Appleâs plans said that Covid-19 pandemic-related delays could push the start of production into 2025 or beyond. Apple declined to comment on the report or its future plans.
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