January 24, 2024 – Renowned Apple leaker, Mark Gurman, revealed today that Apple has pushed back the target release date for its electric vehicle, with the earliest possible launch now set for 2028. This is two years later than what analysts had initially anticipated. Additionally, the company has downgraded its autonomous driving technology from Level 4 to Level 2+.
According to Gurman, this new strategy was approved following a series of meetings at the Apple boardroom, involving project lead Kevin Lynch and CEO Tim Cook. Internally, this shift is being viewed as a crucial watershed moment for the Apple Car project: either it culminates in a successful delivery or the project gets scrapped entirely.
While Apple had envisioned creating a truly driverless vehicle, the electric car it is currently developing will have more limited capabilities. After realizing that a fully autonomous car was not feasible in the foreseeable future, Apple pivoted to developing less automated driver assistance features, aligning itself with the current standards set by Tesla.
Sources familiar with the matter have disclosed that the initial design specifications for the Apple Car required it to operate without human intervention on approved highways in North America under most conditions. However, the current iteration of the Apple Car will utilize Level 2+ technology, a significant departure from the original plan of Level 4 or the even more ambitious Level 5 technology that was initially envisioned.
