2014 bis 2023: Apple Car ist seit fast einem Jahrzehnt in Arbeit

Apples CarKey-API ist die jüngste öffentliche Automobilinitiative, aber könnte als nächstes ein ganzes Auto folgen?

Wie viele andere Projekte, die Apple durchgeführt hat, ist das Apple Car seit fast einem Jahrzehnt in Arbeit. Hier ist die bisherige Geschichte, seit wir zum ersten Mal davon gehört haben, dass Apple daran arbeitet.

Apples Auto soll selbstfahrend sein und ein radikales Design haben, das sich erheblich von herkömmlichen Fahrzeugen unterscheidet. Es könnte der nächste Wachstumsschritt für Apple als Unternehmen sein.

Anfang 2021, berichtet Es tauchte die Behauptung auf, Apple befinde sich in Verhandlungen mit potenziellen Herstellern, um das Apple Car tatsächlich Wirklichkeit werden zu lassen. Dies löste erneutes Interesse an dem oft gemunkelten Produkt aus, ein Interesse, das seitdem anhält.

Dazu gehörten natürlich viele Analysten, die ihre Meinung zum Einstieg von Apple in eine völlig neue Branche äußerten, aber einige sind hinsichtlich des Zeitpunkts pessimistisch. Während einige frühe Berichte darauf hindeuteten, dass die Produktion des Apple Car im Jahr 2024 beginnen soll, warnten Analysten davor, dass die Unausgereiftheit der selbstfahrenden Technologien das letztendliche Angebot von Apple an seinem Produkt einschränken oder sogar seine Veröffentlichung verzögern könnte.

Im Laufe der Zeit änderten die Analysten ihre Prognosen auf später, in einigen Fällen auf über 2025 hinaus. Es gab auch wiederholt Behauptungen über die Einstellung von Mitarbeitern, das Ausscheiden von Mitarbeitern, Veränderungen in Schlüsselpositionen und angeblich eine gänzliche Einstellung des Projekts.

Apple arbeitet bereits seit mindestens acht Jahren an dem Konzept und investiert Milliarden in das Projekt. Es gab auch unzählige Patentanmeldungen, die zeigen, dass Apple im Laufe des Zeitraums weiterhin an der Neugestaltung des Fahrzeugkonzepts gearbeitet hat.

So wie es wahrscheinlich ist, dass Apple den Einstieg in den Automobilmarkt langsam angehen könnte, ist es angesichts der umfangreichen Berichterstattungshistorie ebenso wahrscheinlich, dass es relativ schnell vorgehen könnte.

Hier finden Sie eine Zusammenfassung der Gerüchte und Berichte rund um das Auto und „Project Titan“ im Allgemeinen, von den ersten Gerüchten über seine Entwicklung bis hin zu den neuesten Gerüchten.

Der Name „Project Titan“ wurde 2014 aufgedeckt

Monate später wurden die Details der Gerüchte von anderen Quellen und Medien bestätigt, was darauf hindeutet, dass etwas Wahres dran war zu dem, was behauptet wurde, sowie der Name „Project Titan“.

Büros von SixtyEight Research und Sunnyvale im Jahr 2015 gefunden

Das Gebäude befand sich nur wenige Minuten von Apples damaligem Hauptsitz in 1 Infinite Loop entfernt, und Quellen behaupteten, Apple sei dort ansässig erhielt aktiv Sendungen im Zusammenhang mit der dortigen Arbeit. Insgesamt bestanden die Büros von Apple aus sieben Gebäuden mit einer Fläche von fast 300.000 Quadratmetern, obwohl viele davon für andere Aufgaben genutzt wurden.

Angeblich Büros in Sunnyvale bewohnt von Apple

Eines in der Straße „175“ hatte offenbar keinen eingetragenen Mieter, obwohl es zu diesem Zeitpunkt schon seit Monaten nicht mehr auf dem Markt war, und umfasste eine 4.239 Quadratmeter große „Reparaturwerkstatt“. unter den Baugenehmigungen für Mieterausbauten. Ein persönlicher Besuch ergab, dass es sich um die Heimat von „SixtyEight Research“ handelte.

Die Geheimhaltung des Projekts in den Büros erstreckte sich offenbar darauf, dass Apple-Mitarbeiter aufgefordert wurden, ihre Ausweise beim Betreten des Gebäudes umzudrehen. Gäste, die den Standort besuchten, erhielten Abzeichen, die mit denen in der Apple-Zentrale identisch waren, jedoch ohne Apple-Logo.

Die Verwendung von Milchglas und sichtbaren Sicherheitskameras lässt auf ein Maß an Geheimhaltung schließen, das über ein typisches Forschungsunternehmen hinausgeht. Ein an die Vordertür geklebter Zettel informierte die Fahrer darüber, dass die Lobby des Unternehmens an eine andere Adresse, ein von Apple gemietetes Gebäude, verlegt wurde.

„SixtyEight LLC“ wurde im März 2014 in Delaware registriert und im November 2014 in Kalifornien als ausländisches Unternehmen lizenziert. Angesichts der Tatsache, dass Apple in der Vergangenheit Briefkastenfirmen eingesetzt hat, um geheime Projekte zu verbergen, ist es plausibel, dass dies auch der Fall war der Fall.

Das Unternehmen zahlte auch für den Import eines Fiat Multipla 600 von 1957 aus Großbritannien in die USA. Apple-Designchef Jony Ive soll eine Schwäche für den Fiat 500 haben, was eine weitere Verbindung zu Apple darstellen könnte.

Hunderte im Einsatz Anfang 2015

Im Februar 2015 wurde berichtet, dass Apple „mehrere hundert“ Mitarbeiter an dem Projekt in seiner eigenen Entwicklung beschäftigte Einrichtung abseits des Hauptcampus von Infinite Loop. Dem Bericht zufolge leitete der iPod-und iPhone-Designer Steve Zadesky das Projekt und hatte freie Hand, Talente aus allen bestehenden Apple-Gruppen zu gewinnen.

Unter den Neueinstellungen mit Führungskräften aus der Automobilbranche befand sich angeblich auch der frühere Forschungs-und Entwicklungsleiter von Mercedes-Benz, Johann Jungwirth, der im Herbst 2014 als Leiter der Mac-Systemtechnik zum Unternehmen kam.

Tesla-Chef Elon Musk behauptete außerdem, Apple habe „sehr hart“ versucht, Ingenieure aus dem Unternehmen abzuwerben, indem es Gehaltserhöhungen von 60 % und Boni in Höhe von 250.000 US-Dollar angeboten habe.

Kameratransporter im Jahr 2015 gesichtet

Im Februar 2015 wurden in Kalifornien Minivans gesichtet, von denen man annahm, dass sie Teil eines Apple-Projekts seien, zumindest eines davon Es wurde festgestellt, dass jedes der Fahrzeuge auf das Unternehmen zugelassen war.

Ein angeblich früher Teststand 2015 von Apple verwendet

Die Fahrzeuge hatten einen X-förmigen Rahmen, der am Gepäckträger befestigt war, sowie dunkle Aussparungen, die Kameras, scheibenförmige Antennen und einen Sensor am Hinterrad zu enthalten schienen. Die sich drehenden zylindrischen Geräte auf der Vorder-und Rückseite schienen LiDAR-Sensoren zu sein.

Obwohl angenommen wurde, dass die Fahrzeuge für ein aktualisiertes Google Street View-ähnliches Update von Apple Maps verwendet wurden, besteht auch die Möglichkeit, dass dies ein Vorläufer von Apples späterer Forschung zu selbstfahrenden Fahrzeugen war.

Die Einstellung von Mitarbeitern ging 2015 zügig weiter

Im August 2015 wurde berichtet, dass der leitende Tesla-Ingenieur Jamie Carlson die Seiten zu Apple gewechselt hat, wie aus einem LinkedIn-Profil hervorgeht ändern.

Carlson kam zusammen mit mindestens sechs anderen Mitarbeitern mit Erfahrung in der Entwicklung selbstfahrender Fahrzeuge zu Apple.

Einen Monat später wurden weitere potenzielle Neueinstellungen im Zusammenhang mit selbstfahrenden Autos bekannt gegeben, darunter Experten für Automobilalgorithmen und Bildgebung aus unterschiedlichen Institutionen und mit unterschiedlichem Hintergrund.

In der Zwischenzeit begann Apples Abwerben von Tesla offenbar Probleme zu verursachen und begann sich auf Teslas Produkt-Roadmap auszuwirken. Es wurde vermutet, dass Gerüchte über die Verzögerungen beim Model 3 durch den Exodus von Tesla zu Apple ausgelöst wurden.

Marinestützpunkt-Gespräche im Jahr 2015

Um beim Testen des „Project Titan“ zu helfen, soll Apple im August 2015 Gespräche über die Anmietung eines 2.100 Hektar großen Grundstücks in der Nähe von San Francisco geführt haben. Aus öffentlichen Aufzeichnungen ging hervor, dass Apple sich mit GoMentum Station, einem ehemaligen Marinestützpunkt, getroffen hatte, um das Gelände für autonome Fahrzeugtests zu nutzen.

Ungewöhnlicherweise bestätigte ein Beamter von GoMentum Station die Gespräche und dass das Unternehmen eine Geheimhaltungsvereinbarung mit Apple unterzeichnet hatte.

Berichten zufolge umfasste die Anlage Autobahnüberführungen, Bahnübergänge und andere typische Straßenmerkmale, wodurch das Gelände besonders gut zum Testen selbstfahrender Fahrzeugsysteme geeignet war.

Auf der Suche nach Partnern im Jahr 2015

Der angebliche Zeitplan für die Gründung des Projekts, der vorsah, innerhalb von fünf Jahren mit der Produktion zu beginnen, könnte“ Dies hat dazu geführt, dass Apple eine Partnerschaft anstrebt, um den Marktzugang zu verkürzen.

Ein damaliger Bericht besagte, dass Apple einen Auslieferungstermin für das Fahrzeug im Jahr 2019 anstrebte, ein Zeitplan, den das Unternehmen jedoch nicht einhalten konnte.

Dazu gehörten auch Probleme bei der Planung eines möglichen Produktionsstandorts. Einen Monat zuvor hatte Apple ein 43 Hektar großes Baugrundstück in San Jose erworben, das damals als möglicher Ort für die Entwicklung oder sogar die eventuelle Montage galt.

Es gab auch Vorschläge, dass Apple erwogen hatte, den BMW i3 als Basis für das Projekt zu verwenden, wobei die beiden Unternehmen damals angeblich auch Gespräche führten, allerdings ohne einer Einigung nahe zu sein.

Selbstfahrende Sichtbarkeit in Kalifornien begann im Jahr 2015

Apple-Anwälte trafen sich im September 2019 mit dem kalifornischen DMV zusammen mit Co-Sponsoren des autonomen Fahrens des Staates Fahrzeugregulierungsprojekt, das sich auf die Regeln und Richtlinien des DMV für straßenbasierte selbstfahrende Fahrzeugtests bezieht.

Es wurde vorgeschlagen, dass die Regeln Apple dazu zwingen würden, ein Fahrzeug auf öffentlich sichtbare Weise zu registrieren, wodurch effektiv bestätigt würde, dass die Entwicklung noch im Gange sei, und ein Teil der Geheimhaltung des Projekts beseitigt würde.

In einem Interview im Oktober 2015 zeigte sich Elon Musk scheinbar unbesorgt über die Mitarbeiterabwerbung bei Apple und behauptete, Apple würde Leute einstellen, die Tesla entlassen habe. „Wir nennen Apple immer scherzhaft den Tesla-Friedhof.“ „Wenn du es bei Tesla nicht schaffst, gehst du für Apple arbeiten. Ich mache keine Witze“, sagte Musk.

Musk erklärte, dass Autos „im Vergleich zu Telefonen oder Smartphones sehr komplex“ seien, und warnte, es sei ein schwieriges Projekt, aber es sei „gut, dass Apple eine Investition in diese Richtung vornimmt.“

Nach der Veröffentlichung des Berichts ging Musk zu Twitter, um Schadensbegrenzung zu betreiben, und sagte: „Yo, ich hasse Apple nicht. Es ist ein großartiges Unternehmen mit vielen talentierten Leuten. Ich liebe ihre Produkte und ich“ Ich bin froh, dass sie einen EV machen.

Im Jahr 2015 setzte sich der Einstellungsrausch fort

Apples Versuche, mehr Ingenieure an Bord zu holen, wurden bis Ende 2015 fortgesetzt, allerdings mit einigen Kollateralschäden.

Mission Motors, ein Elektro-Motorrad-Startup, meldete im September Insolvenz an, nachdem Top-Ingenieure zu Apple wechselten. Aufgrund der geringen Belegschaft von 35 Mitarbeitern führte die Entlassung einiger wichtiger Mitarbeiter zum Zusammenbruch des Unternehmens.

Zu den weiteren bemerkenswerten Neueinstellungen gehörte Jonathan Cohen von Nvidia, ein ehemaliger Direktor des maschinellen Lernprogramms CUDA Libraries and Software Solutions, das Computer-Vision-Technologien umfasst, die das Herzstück eines selbstfahrenden Fahrzeugsystems bilden würden.

Nvidia engagiert Deep-Learning-Direktor Jonathan Cohen hatte einen Hintergrund in der Fahrzeug-Computer-Vision.

Die Einstellung von Ronan O Braonain deutete auch auf Bereiche hin, in denen Apple weiter arbeiten könnte, nachdem er zuvor für BMW als Software-Ingenieur und CTO der Elektrofahrzeugflotte gearbeitet hatte Das Lösungsunternehmen Vision Fleet und das Unternehmen für digitale Nummernschilder Reviver.

Domainkäufe aus dem Jahr 2016

Im Januar 2016 wurde festgestellt, dass Apple eine Reihe neuer Domainnamen erworben hatte. Während Apple in der Regel als Abwehrmaßnahme Domainnamen kauft und Marken registriert, auch wenn es diese nicht nutzt, deutete eine von Apple beschlagnahmte Charge auf potenzielle Verwendungsmöglichkeiten im Automobilbereich hin.

Die Liste der Käufe umfasste apple.cars, apple.car und apple.auto.

F&E in der Nähe von BlackBerry wurde 2016 angemietet

In einem Bericht vom Januar 2016 wurde behauptet, dass Apple Büroflächen in Kanata, einem Vorort von Ottawa, Kanada, angemietet habe Der QNX Software Systems-Zweig von BlackBerry. Es wurde vermutet, dass Apple das Grundstück unbedingt für die Entwicklung von Automobilsoftware nutzen wollte.

Die Nähe zu den Automobilsoftware-Teams von BlackBerry bot Apple auch die Möglichkeit, mehr Mitarbeiter mit Erfahrung im selbstfahrenden Fahrzeug einzustellen.

Großer Abgang und Einstellungsstopp 2016

Im Januar 2016 gab es Berichte, dass Projektleiter Steve Zadesky Kollegen darüber informierte, dass er das Unternehmen unter Berufung auf „persönliche Gründe“ verlassen würde „hinter der Entscheidung.

Etwa zur gleichen Zeit befand sich „Project Titan“ offenbar selbst an einem Scheideweg, nachdem Ive nach den Feiertagen in einer Fortschrittsüberprüfung „seinen Unmut über die Fortschritte der Gruppe zum Ausdruck gebracht“ hatte.

Es wurde ein Einstellungsstopp eingeführt, der verhinderte, dass weitere Personen der Gruppe beitraten, von der damals angenommen wurde, dass sie mehr als 1.000 Personen umfasste.

Sunnyvales Entwicklungen im Jahr 2016

Im Februar und März 2016 gab es eine Reihe von Entwicklungen im Zusammenhang mit Immobilien, die angeblich mit der Entwicklung von Apple Cars in Sunnyvale in Zusammenhang standen.

Im Februar wurde ein Bericht veröffentlicht, in dem detailliert beschrieben wurde, wie sich ein Anwohner spät in der Nacht bei den Stadtbeamten über Motorgeräusche beschwerte, die vom Grundstück ausgingen. Während es plausibel ist, dass die Geräusche von größeren Renovierungsarbeiten herrühren, ist es auch möglich, dass die Geräusche mit der Fahrzeugentwicklung zusammenhängen.

Zwei Projekte, die damals vom Büro des Stadtverwalters von Sunnyvale hervorgehoben wurden, erklärten, wie Apple eine Baugenehmigung für eine nahegelegene Einrichtung mit 9.600 Quadratmetern Bürofläche erhalten hatte und in die bereits zuvor ein anderes Apple einzog besetzt durch Maxim Integrated.

Ein ehemaliger Das Pepsi-Abfülllager in Sunnyvale wurde angemietet, da Apple mehr Platz benötigte.

Die Gebäude würden als „Autotestzentrum“ und zum Testen „neuer elektronischer Technologien, die in High-End-Autos integriert sind“ genutzt.

Im März suchte Apple nach mehr Platz und mietete ein 96.000 Quadratmeter großes Lagerhaus in Sunnyvale, das früher als Pepsi-Abfüllanlage genutzt wurde.

Im April wurde berichtet, dass Apple Codenamen aus der griechischen Mythologie verwendet, um sich auf Einrichtungen in der Gegend zu beziehen, darunter „Pegasus“, „Aria“, „Rhea“ und „Corvinus“.

Secret German Lab berichtete im Jahr 2016

In einem Bericht vom April 2016 wurde behauptet, dass bei Apple 15 bis 20 „hochkarätige“ Mitarbeiter aus der deutschen Automobilindustrie trainieren eines geheimen Autolabors in Berlin, Deutschland.

Anstatt aus traditionellen Ingenieuren und Strukturen zu bestehen, soll das Labor ein „Inkubator“ für Ideen zu Fahrzeugen, Fertigungspartnerschaften und anderen verwandten Themen sein. Die Ingenieure ließen sich von Managern nicht zurückhalten und galten als „progressive Denker“ und „junge Berufstätige“ mit unterschiedlichem Hintergrund.

Mehr Einstellungen und Abwerben für 2016

Im April 2016 war der große Name, der von Tesla zu Apple wechselte, der ehemalige Vizepräsident für Fahrzeugtechnik Chris Porritt. Er sollte bei Apple an „Sonderprojekten“ arbeiten, möglicherweise als Ersatz für den scheidenden Zadesky.

Zwei Neueinstellungen gaben an, dass Apple an der Teilekonstruktion interessiert sei, und so wurden dem „Product Realization Lab“ des Unternehmens zwei Personen hinzugefügt. Dazu gehörten David Masiukiewicz, ehemaliger CNC-Programmierer für Hardware-Prototyping bei Tesla, und Kevin Harvey, Leiter der CNC-Maschinenwerkstatt bei Andretti Autosport.

Im Mai wurde berichtet, Apple habe Kurt Adelberger eingestellt, wie aus einer Google-Patentanmeldung für ein Elektrofahrzeug hervorgeht.

Im Mai 2016 wurde berichtet, dass Apple daran interessiert sei, ein 800.000 Quadratmeter großes Grundstück in der San Francisco Bay Area zu erwerben.

Die Kommentare wurden während einer Telefonkonferenz zu den Ergebnissen von Hudson Pacific Properties abgegeben, als CEO Victor Coleman sagte, er sehe eine „endgültige Bewegung“ von Unternehmen für selbstfahrende Autos zum Erwerb von Immobilien. Er verwies auf Toyota, Tesla und andere große Automobilhersteller und äußerte sich weiter zu Googles Suche „und zu den 800.000 Quadratmetern, die Apple auch für seine autonomen Autos beanspruchen will“.

Die Didi Chuxing-Investition 2016

Apple hat im Mai 2016 eine Milliarde US-Dollar in den chinesischen Uber-Konkurrenten Didi Chuxing investiert Gründe, sagte Apple-Chef Tim Cook, „einschließlich der Möglichkeit, mehr über bestimmte Segmente des chinesischen Marktes zu erfahren.“

Apple-CEO Tim Cook und Didi Chuxing-Präsident Jean Liu

Während Didi Chuxing für seine Mitfahrgelegenheiten über eine App bekannt war, bietet die Verbindung mit einem großen fahrzeugbasierten Dienst Apple eine Reihe von Vorteilen: sowie eine potenzielle Forschungsquelle und ein zukünftiger Apple Car-Kunde.

Power-Gespräche zum Thema Aufladen im Jahr 2016

Im selben Monat wie die Investition von Didi Chuxing führte Apple auch Gespräche mit Firmen, die Fahrzeugladestationen bereitstellten als Einstellungsingenieure in diesem Bereich, heißt es in einem Bericht.

Apple hat offenbar mit den Firmen gesprochen, um weitere Informationen über die von ihnen verwendete Technologie zu erhalten, aber die Firmen hatten offenbar Angst vor einer übermäßigen Weitergabe, da sie Apple als potenziellen Konkurrenten betrachteten.

Es wurde behauptet, dass es bei den Diskussionen nicht um die Bereitstellung von Ladestationen für Mitarbeiter ging, sondern eher um den Nutzen des Elektroauto-Projekts.

Der Führungswechsel 2016

Der Hardware-Ingenieur und ehemalige Geschäftsführer Bob Mansfield soll im Juli 2016 wieder an die Spitze des Unternehmens zurückgekehrt sein und die Kontrolle über die Elektrik übernommen haben Fahrzeugprojekt.

Mansfield wollte im Juni 2012 in den Ruhestand gehen, blieb aber einen Monat später stattdessen als Berater von Cook. Er wurde Senior VP of Technologies und schied im Juli 2013 aus dieser Funktion aus, arbeitete aber weiterhin an „Sonderprojekten“ für das Unternehmen.

Etwa zur gleichen Zeit stellte Apple mit Dan Dodge einen weiteren hochkarätigen Mitarbeiter ein. Der Gründer und ehemalige CEO von QNX verließ BlackBerry offenbar Anfang des Jahres, um zu Apple zu wechseln.

Erschütternde Abgänge und eine große Veränderung für 2016

Die Ernennung von Mansfield zur Leitung des Projekts führte in den folgenden Monaten zu einer Reihe von Veränderungen. Im August wechselte Bart Nabbe, Computer-Vision-Experte von Apple, zum Elektroauto-Rivalen Faraday Future.

Im nächsten Monat entließ Apple Dutzende Mitarbeiter im Rahmen eines „Neustarts“ des Projekts und einer Neuausrichtung des Projekts weg vom Auto und hin zur zugrunde liegenden Technologie autonomer Fahrzeuge. Im Oktober kam es zu einem massiven Exodus: Berichten zufolge zogen Hunderte aus eigenem Antrieb ab, wurden versetzt oder entlassen.

Dem verbleibenden Personal wurde offenbar eine Frist bis Ende 2017 gesetzt, um die Praktikabilität der selbstfahrenden Technologie des Projekts zu beweisen.

Etwa zu dieser Zeit begannen die Berichte über das Design des Autos zu schwinden und selbstfahrende Systeme rückten in den Vordergrund. Gelegentlich tauchten Designs in Patentanmeldungen auf, aber es schien, dass die Entwicklung eines vollständig von Apple entworfenen Fahrzeugs ins Stocken geraten war.

Öffentliche Zulassung von Tests Ende 2016

In seiner öffentlichsten Bestätigung seiner Arbeit an Fahrzeugen legte Apple der NHTSA im November eine vorgeschlagene Richtlinienaktualisierung vor 2016, um Brancheneinsteigern die gleichen Möglichkeiten für öffentliche Straßentests zu bieten wie etablierten Herstellern.

In der Erklärung wurde darauf hingewiesen, dass die bestehende Politik zwar einen sicheren und flexiblen Ansatz für die Entwicklung automatisierter Fahrzeuge verfolgte, dass jedoch Änderungen der Vorschriften vorgeschlagen wurden, um sie für andere Unternehmen offener zu machen.

Einstellung bei Porsche im Dezember 2016, Niederlage gegen Tesla im Januar 2017

In kurzer Folge gelang es Apple, einen wichtigen neuen Mitarbeiter zu gewinnen, einen weiteren jedoch zu verlieren.

Ehemaliger Porsche Technischer Leiter des LMP1-Projekts und Rennleiter Alexander Hitzinger

Im Dezember 2016 kam Alexander Hitzinger, der technische Leiter des Porsche LMP1-Projekts und ehemaliger Rennleiter, zu uns. Dazu gehörte auch die Entwicklung des Hybridsportwagens 919.

Im Januar 2017 sicherte sich Tesla einen großen Erfolg, indem es den Swift-Erfinder Chris Lattner von Apple abstellte. Lattner sollte sich Tesla anschließen, um im Autopilot-Team zu arbeiten.

Apple SVP tritt 2017 dem US-amerikanischen DOT-Ausschuss für automatisierte Fahrzeuge bei

Das US-Verkehrsministerium hat im Januar 2017 einen beratenden Ausschuss für selbstfahrende Fahrzeuge eingerichtet Der Schwerpunkt der Gruppe liegt auf der „Entwicklung und dem Einsatz automatisierter Fahrzeuge und der Ermittlung der Bedürfnisse der Abteilung bei der Fortführung ihrer relevanten Forschung, Richtlinien und Vorschriften“.

Apple-Vizepräsidentin Lisa Jackson wurde zusammen mit anderen Regierungsbeamten und Persönlichkeiten aus der Automobilbranche auf die Liste gesetzt, was Apple einen gewissen Einfluss auf politische Entscheidungen verschaffte.

Didi-Labor für selbstfahrendes Fahren wurde 2017 in der Nähe von Apple eröffnet

Im März 2017 richtete Didi Chuxing sein Labor für künstliche Intelligenz in Mountain View, Kalifornien, ein. Das Labor wird an der Entwicklung intelligenter Fahrsysteme und KI-Transportsicherheit arbeiten.

Die Lage des Labors war interessant, da es nur einen Steinwurf vom Apple-Hauptsitz in Cupertino entfernt war und Didi der frühere Nutznießer einer Apple-Investition war.

Schweizer Laborrekrutierung im Jahr 2017

Apple soll im März 2017 für eine Forschungseinrichtung in der Schweiz rekrutiert haben, heißt es in einem Bericht. „Mindestens“ zehn Doktoranden und Postdoktoranden der ETH Zürich mit Erfahrung in Computer Vision und Robotik sollen die Universität in Richtung Labor verlassen haben.

Zu der Gruppe gehörten möglicherweise auch Spezialisten des ETH-Professors für Autonome Systeme Roland Siegwart, der bestätigte, dass fünf seiner Studenten zu Unternehmen gegangen waren, jedoch nicht bestätigte, dass sie zu Apple gegangen waren.

Selbstfahrende Tests beginnen im April 2017

Im April 2017 bewegte sich Apple stärker als je zuvor in Richtung Technologie für selbstfahrende Fahrzeuge, da das Unternehmen einen Standort in Kalifornien erwarb DMV-Genehmigung für Tests auf öffentlichen Straßen. Die Genehmigung umfasste drei Lexus RX450h-SUVs und sechs Sicherheitspiloten, deren Zahl jedoch im Laufe der Zeit zunehmen würde.

Im selben Monat sickerten Dokumente über Apples Plattform für selbstfahrende Autos durch, die Schulungen und mögliche Maßnahmen, die Verwendung eines Lenkrads und von Pedalen von Logitech sowie andere Elemente zeigten.

Apples erstes Modell Bei offiziellen selbstfahrenden Autotests wurde der Lexus als Fahrzeug verwendet.

Bis zum 17. April wurden auf Straßen im Silicon Valley Autos gesichtet, bei denen es sich vermutlich um von Apple zugelassene Fahrzeuge handelte. Der Prüfstand auf dem Dach umfasste LiDAR-Sensoren, Radaranlagen und mehrere Kameras.

Bevor der Monat zu Ende ging, schrieb Apple an die DMV, um die Protokolle und Meldepflichten im Zusammenhang mit der „Rückzugsberichterstattung“ zu ändern, um die öffentliche Bekanntheit zu minimieren. Apple wollte die Berichterstattung ändern, um geplante Tests und andere betriebliche Einschränkungen zu beseitigen, die zum Ausfall eines Systems und zur Übernahme durch den Testpiloten führen würden.

Cooks Auto-Tease für die WWDC 2017

Nach der WWDC 2017 antwortete Cook auf eine Frage zu Apples Autoplänen, dass das Unternehmen „sich auf autonome Systeme konzentriert, „die seiner Ansicht nach „eine Kerntechnologie“ und „die Mutter aller KI-Projekte“ sei.

„Wir werden sehen, wohin es uns führt. Wir sagen aus Produktsicht nicht wirklich, was wir tun werden“, fügte er als effektiven Haftungsausschluss für die zukünftige Produktentwicklung hinzu.

Hertz-Tests im Jahr 2017

In einem Bericht vom Juni 2017 wurde ungewöhnlicherweise behauptet, Apple arbeite mit dem Mietwagenunternehmen Hertz zusammen, um seine selbstfahrende Technologie zu testen auf Straßen.

Die Partnerschaft umfasste angeblich die Anmietung einer „kleinen Fahrzeugflotte“ von Hertz, die für ihre eigenen Tests dieselben Lexus-Modelle nutzte.

Geheime Batterieforschung im Jahr 2017

Um sein Elektroauto anzutreiben, arbeitete Apple Berichten zufolge mit einem chinesischen Unternehmen an verbesserten Batterietechnologien. Der Bericht deutete an, dass Apples Ambitionen im Bereich Autodesign noch nicht vollständig ausgelöscht seien und dass das Unternehmen immer noch die Möglichkeit erwäge.

Im Juli 2017 wurde behauptet, Apple habe sich mit der chinesischen CATL für die Batterieforschung angemeldet, obwohl über den Automobilaspekt nur spekuliert wurde.

Selbstfahrende Shuttle-Pläne im Jahr 2017

In einem Bericht vom August 2017 wurde behauptet, Apple arbeite mit einem etablierten Autohersteller zusammen, um einen selbstfahrenden Shuttle-Service zu entwickeln. namens PAIL.

Der Shuttle steht für „Palo Alto to Infinite Loop“ und transportiert Mitarbeiter und Vorräte von einem Büro zum anderen. Der Zeitpunkt für den Start war zu diesem Zeitpunkt unbekannt, ebenso wenig der ausgewählte Partner.

Prüfstands-Upgrades 2017

Der Sensorprüfstand in Apples Fahrzeugflotte wurde offenbar im August 2017 mit einem neuen LiDAR-Array aus integrierten Kameras, GPS usw. aufgerüstet andere Dinge. Apple verwendete für seine Tests weiterhin dasselbe Lexus-Modell, bei der entdeckten Version handelte es sich jedoch um eine neuere Variante.

Die zweite Das Testbett des Projekts Titan verwendete kleinere Komponenten und war insgesamt kompakter.

Anstatt einen großen Rahmen und Montagekomponenten am gesamten Fahrzeug zu verwenden, war der neuere Prüfstand kompakter und wurde auf den Dachhalterungen des Fahrzeugs platziert.

Im Oktober tauchte ein Video des Autos auf, das eine Nahaufnahme des Prüfstands zeigte.

Mehr Neueinstellungen und Verluste für 2017

Im August 2017 begann Apple erneut mit der Einstellung von Mitarbeitern, jedoch mit der Absicht, die Technologie im Fahrgeschäft einzusetzen. hagelnden Markt. Berichten zufolge litt das Team nach den Entlassungen im Vorjahr immer noch „unter einer gewissen Verwirrung über den Zweck“, aber der neue Einstellungsprozess konzentrierte sich mehr auf die selbstfahrende Plattform als auf das Fahrzeugdesign.

Während Apple versuchte, mehr Personal zu bekommen, sprang im selben Monat eine Gruppe von 17 Ingenieuren ab. Die auf Brems-, Federungs-und andere Automobilsysteme spezialisierte Gruppe schloss sich Zoox an, einem weiteren selbstfahrenden Unternehmen.

Interesse an Testgeländen in Arizona im Jahr 2017

In einem Bericht vom November 2017 wurde behauptet, dass Apple ein ehemaliges Fiat-Chrysler-Testgelände in Surprise, Arizona, mietet, um sich selbst zu testen-Fahrwagenplattform. Apple soll Testingenieure und Techniker von anderen Standorten im Bundesstaat rekrutiert haben, um die Tests seiner selbstfahrenden Systeme fortzusetzen.

Das Gelände wurde an Route 14 Investment Partners LLC verpachtet, die seit 2015 in Delaware unter der Corporation Trust Company eingetragen ist. Dies könnte ein Hinweis darauf sein, dass es sich um eine weitere von Apple gegründete Briefkastenfirma handelt.

Der Standort soll auf viele verschiedene Arten getestet werden können, darunter die Simulation von Regenwetter, Zebrastreifen und Kreuzungen für reales Fahren sowie ein Geschwindigkeitsoval.

Autonome Forschung Ende 2017 veröffentlicht

Ende 2017 gaben die Forscher von Apple Einzelheiten zu ihren Bemühungen bekannt, autonome Fahrzeugsysteme zu entwickeln.

In einem Forschungspapier vom November wurde erläutert, wie eine LiDAR-basierte 3D-Objekterkennung durchgeführt werden könnte, die das Lesen der Straße selbst durch Fahrsysteme verbessern kann. Dazu gehört die Erstellung von 3D-Punktwolken und die Verwendung einer trainierbaren Tiefenarchitektur zur Charakterisierung von 3D-Formen.

Apple wurde Offener über seine Forschung zu selbstfahrenden Fahrzeugen Ende 2017

Im Dezember sprach Ruslan Salakhutdinov, Leiter der KI-Forschung bei Apple, auf der NIPS-Konferenz für maschinelles Lernen über andere nicht veröffentlichte Bereiche, einschließlich der Frage, wie das kamerabasierte Erkennungssystem erkennen kann Gegenstände auch dann, wenn sie durch Regen und geparkte Autos verdeckt werden.

Die Flotte wächst 2018 auf 66

Anfang 2018 gab Apple in einer DMV-Anmeldung bekannt, dass es 27 selbstfahrende Fahrzeuge auf öffentlichen Straßen habe. eine deutliche Steigerung gegenüber der vorherigen Gesamtzahl von drei. Nur zwei Monate später schoss die Gesamtzahl der Flotte auf 45 Autos und ist damit die zweitgrößte nach den 110 Autos von Cruise.

Zwei Monate später wuchs die Zahl erneut auf 55 Fahrzeuge und 83 zugelassene Fahrer, und im Juli waren es 66 Autos und 111 zugelassene Fahrer. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt hatte das DMV lediglich 56 Testgenehmigungen erteilt und 468 Fahrzeuge genehmigt, was bedeutet, dass Apple über einen beträchtlichen Teil der selbstfahrenden Bevölkerung verfügte.

Giannandrea tritt 2018 bei

Im April 2018 verpflichtete Apple John Giannandrea von Google, um an seiner Strategie für maschinelles Lernen und KI zu arbeiten. Zuvor leitete er bei Google die Aufgabe, KI in die gesamte Produktpalette zu integrieren, und war zuvor Teil von Metaweb.

Während Giannandrea Chef der KI und Leiter der Suche bei Google war, konzentrierte sich seine Rolle bei Apple wahrscheinlich größtenteils auf Siri, betraf aber wahrscheinlich auch das Projekt Titan.

Volkswagen PAIL-Gespräche im Jahr 2018

Berichte über die PAIL-Shuttles deuten darauf hin, dass Apple bei dem Projekt mit Volkswagen zusammenarbeitet, nachdem die Gespräche mit BMW und anderen Automobilherstellern ins Stocken geraten waren aus.

Eimer war soll Volkswagen Transporter nutzen.

Das Projekt soll für seinen Shuttle eine Reihe von Volkswagen T6 Transportern nutzen, die mit speziellen Armaturenbrettern und Sitzen sowie einer elektrischen Batterie ausgestattet sind.

Waymo-Ingenieur kommt 2018 zu Apple

Im Juni 2018 wechselte Jamie Waydo, ein leitender Ingenieur von Alphabets Waymo, zu Apple. Sie war angeblich für die Überprüfung der Sicherheit von Prototypen verantwortlich und coachte das Unternehmen, wann es sicher war, mit realen Straßentests in Phoenix zu beginnen.

Waydo arbeitete zuvor für das Jet Propulsion Laboratory der NASA.

Ex-Apple-Mitarbeiter im Jahr 2018 wegen Geschäftsgeheimnissen angeklagt

Der ehemalige Apple-Hardware-Ingenieur Xiaolang Zhang wurde im Juli 2018 am San Jose International Airport festgenommen ein Versuch, nach Peking, China zu fliegen. Zhang wurde beschuldigt, Geschäftsgeheimnisse von Apple selbst gestohlen zu haben.

Zhang wurde vom Bundesgericht wegen Diebstahls von Geschäftsgeheimnissen angeklagt, mit einer empfohlenen Strafe von zehn Jahren Haft, einer Geldstrafe von 250.000 US-Dollar, einer Sonderveranlagung in Höhe von 100 US-Dollar und drei Jahren Freilassung unter Aufsicht.

Zuvor war Zhang im Compute-Team von Project Titan tätig, das Leiterplatten für die Analyse von Sensordaten entwarf. Er hatte Apple im Vaterschaftsurlaub verlassen, um China zu besuchen, doch bei seiner Rückkehr teilte er mit, dass er gehen würde, und plante, sich darum zu kümmern seine kranke Mutter. Während des Treffens teilte er einem Vorgesetzten auch mit, dass er dem chinesischen Startup Xmotors beitreten würde.

Bei der Rückgabe von vom Unternehmen ausgegebenen Geräten stellte Apple ungewöhnliche Download-Aktivitäten fest, die darauf hindeuteten, dass er möglicherweise einige Daten heruntergeladen hatte, die er nicht mitnehmen sollte. Überwachungskameras und Ausweiskontrollen brachten Zhang während seines Vaterschaftsurlaubs in die Labore des Unternehmens, was zu einer Konfrontation führte, bei der Zhang zugab, dort gewesen zu sein und Gegenstände mitgenommen zu haben, darunter zwei Leiterplatten und einen Linux-Server.

Von Apple zu Tesla, wieder zu Apple im Jahr 2018

Im August 2018 führte der Einstellungskrieg zwischen Apple und Tesla zur ungewöhnlichen, aber unvermeidlichen Rückkehr eines Mitarbeiters zurück vom anderen. Doug Field, ehemals VP of Mac Hardware Engineering bei Apple, kehrte nach fast fünf Jahren bei Tesla zum Unternehmen zurück.

Doug Field , ein ehemaliger Apple-Ingenieur, zog von Tesla zurück.

Es wurde berichtet, dass Field im Rahmen des Projekts Titan arbeiten würde.

Im selben Monat hieß es in einem Bericht, Apple habe in dem Jahr bis zu diesem Zeitpunkt mindestens 46 Leute von Tesla eingestellt. Some were poached, while others joined after being fired from Tesla.

While the obvious choice would be for the influx to work on Project Titan, it wasn’t always the case, as Apple was putting more work into general manufacturing processes, which applied across the entire company.

First Apple self-driving accident was in 2018

In August 2018, Apple’s self-driving vehicle program endured its first car accident on the road. A test car was rear-ended by a Nissan Leaf while merging on an expressway, with both vehicles suffering”moderate damage.”

There was no major risk to life in the collision, as the Leaf was moving at just 15 miles per hour. It also seems that the Leaf driver was at fault, rather than a failure by the self-driving system.

Hitzinger exits in 2018, Kim enters in 2019

December 2018 saw Apple hiring Andrew Kim, a senior designer from Tesla. Kim was primarily a vehicle interior designer who worked on both the dashboard layout and the aesthetics of the vehicles.

The hiring could have been an attempt by Apple to slowly return to the idea of building its own car, or at least designing it.

For January 2019, Alexander Hitzinger was poached from Apple by Volkswagen to work on its commercial vehicle division. His role would involve developing VW’s self-driving vehicles, as”mobility as a service.”

2019 mass layoffs

January 2019 also saw Apple perform another restructuring effort of its Project Titan group, releasing more than 200 employees. Not all of the employees were laid off, as some will have been shifted to other roles within Apple.

Another early image of Apple’s initial testbed.

Apple gave a rare confirmation of the reshuffling, taking the opportunity to say”We continue to believe there is a huge opportunity with autonomous systems, that Apple has unique capabilities to contribute, and that this is the most ambitious machine learning project ever.”

Apple later confirmed the laying off of 190 people in February.

Second arrest over trade secret theft took place in 2019

The FBI arrested a second person accused of trade secret theft in January 2019. Engineer Jizhong Chen was spotted taking photographs in a secret work area, prompting further investigation.

Apple’s Global Security team searched his computer and found manuals, diagrams, schematics, and a hundred photos shot within Apple’s offices.

The motive was apparent as Chen had applied for a job at a Chinese self-driving tech company. The arrest took place one day before he was set to fly back to China.

Highly sensitive disengagement in 2019 report

In February 2019, data from the California DMV revealed Apple’s self-driving testbed was the worst-performing of permitted testers, in terms of disengagements. This refers to instances where the autonomous mode is forced to end and return control to a human pilot.

Between December 2017 to November 2018, Apple’s fleet recorded an average of 871.65 disengagements per 1,000 miles traveled, making it last against 27 other testing firms. By contrast, Google’s Waymo managed 0.09 disengagements per 1,000 miles.

In response, Apple claimed the system is overly cautious and”conservative,”as it wasn’t designed to operate in”all conditions and situations”at the time. Apple senior director of Autonomous Systems Engineering Jamie Waydo explained”To support this approach, our public road testing policies require drivers to proactively take manual control of the vehicle any time the system encounters a scenario beyond our currently proven abilities.”

Apple’s data claimed just over half of the disengagements were”Manual Takeovers,”prompted by the pilot manually, versus”Software Disengagements”determined by the system itself. Furthermore, there were just 28″Important Disengagements,”deemed to have potentially resulted in a law violation or a safety issue, of which two involved other cars struck Apple’s vehicles.

An electric van in 2019?

A report from Germany in February 2019 claimed Apple’s electric vehicle may not be a car, but a van. Sources claim prototypes painted in black and silver were spotted, and were all vans.

The same report also said engineers were working on the interior of the vehicle.

It remains unknown if the vehicles being tested were actually the goal of Project Titan, vans intended for PAIL, or for another purpose.

Cook tells 2019 shareholders Apple’s”rolling the dice”on future products

Speaking at the annual shareholders meeting in March 2019, CEO Tim Cook said the company was”planting seeds”and”rolling the dice”on future products that will”blow you away.”

Apple CEO Tim Cook has spoken about self-driving vehicles in the past.

Cook has”never been more optimistic”about where Apple was going, he proclaimed, though declined to specify where the company was headed.

Tesla Powertrain hire in 2019

March 2019’s hiring from Tesla by Apple was Michael Schwekutsch, VP of engineering. Departing Tesla earlier in the month, he became part of Apple’s Special Projects Group, which includes”Project Titan.”

The executive had an extensive history in powertrain development, including related engineering firms such as BorgWarner and GKN Driveline, and was connected to electric and hybrid powertrains used in the BMW i8, the Fiat 500eV, Volvo XC90, and Porsche 918 Spyder.

Driving sensor supplier conversations by April 2019

By April 2019, Apple was said to be in talks with a number of component suppliers about LiDAR sensors destined for Project Titan. This was apparently to create a new generation of testbed to be fitted to vehicles for evaluation purposes.

Apple was said to want to use sensors that are as small as possible, to potentially hide them within a car’s bodywork and out of sight. Using non-mechanical versions of LiDAR hardware could also bring down the cost of the sensor array, which was estimated to be around $100,000 per vehicle at the time.

Apple cuts test cars from fleet for 2019

Apple reported a decrease in the number of self-driving test vehicles in its fleet on California’s public roads in April 2019. At the time, Apple reported 69 vehicles, a drop down from a peak of 72 vehicles from November 2018.

Large drive rooms in May 2019

Apple was reportedly building”multiple very large drive rooms in California,”financial analyst Craig Irwin of Roth Capital Partners claimed in May 2019. The drive rooms were not defined by Irwin to pertain to automobiles, but were for working on improving battery technology.

There was no mention of where these rooms were located, other than the state, nor their purpose outside of battery technology testing. Even so, the name”drive room”certainly does suggest a use in automotive design.

Drive.ai acquired in June 2019

In June 2019, Apple confirmed it had acquired the self-driving shuttle and car kit startup Drive.ai, which saw Apple pick up dozens of employees who worked in engineering and product design, as well as cars and other assets.

Apple acquired employees and technology from startup Drive.ai

Terms of the deal were not revealed, but the company was valued at approximately $200 million in 2017.

Apple recruits ex-Tesla engineering VP in July 2019

In July 2019, Apple hired Steve MacManus, a long-time auto industry veteran who had previously worked with Tesla. Specializing in auto interiors, he worked in the field for Bentley, Aston Martin, Jaguar/Land Rover, and the Rover Group, as well as Tesla for over four years as VP of Engineering.

MacManus joined Apple with a vague”senior director”role at Apple Park.

Apple worries about trade theft suspects fleeing in 2019

Apple representatives asked the federal court in December 2019 to continuously monitor two former employees accused of stealing trade secrets, as they posed flight risks.

Employees wanted persistent tracking of the accused, Xiaolang Zhang and Jizhong Chen, as extradition would be nearly impossible if either fled back to their home country, China.

More fleet cuts made in 2020

Apple’s fleet of autonomous vehicles driving in California reduced again in February 2020, with only 23 of Apple’s 69 registered testbeds active between December 2018 and November 2019. Collectively, they travelled just 7,544 miles, down from over 79,000 miles in 2018.

Disengagements had improved to 64 across the 7544 miles, equating to 8.48 per 1,000 miles, versus the 871.65 disengagements per 1,000 miles recorded one year prior.

However, Apple is still far behind the rest of the pack. Baidu was in the lead with 0.06 disengagements per 1,000 miles, with Waymo and Cruise at 0.08 each.

Apple Maps LiDAR data report in September 2020

A report from September 2020 explained how cars mapping streets for Apple Maps used custom iPads and a Mac Pro, as well as a suite of sensors. While the report largely covered the day-to-day nature of the teams, how they worked, and specific technologies used, it also suggested more about Apple’s data usage.

Imaging and LiDAR data from Apple Maps cars may be used to teach Apple’s self-driving systems.

By capturing mapping data from the street, including high-resolution imagery and LiDAR scans, the system can collect terabytes of data that could be used for machine learning purposes to assist self-driving systems. This is extremely handy for the tuition of machine learning systems to handle image data in parts of the world far away from where Apple is currently testing on roads.

John Giannandrea overseas Apple Car development from December 2020

In December 2020, Apple reportedly shifted its Project Titan management, with AI chief John Giannandrea overseeing proceedings. Still ran day-to-day by Doug Field, the project would be guided by Giannandrea in general.

Mansfield, who previously was at the helm for Apple Car, is now said to be fully retired.

Apple-TSMC partnership chip rumors at the end of 2020

At the end of 2020, Apple was rumored to be working with long-time chip partner TSMC to create processors and chips destined for use in the Apple Car. The companies were said to have established plans for a factory in the United States for chip production, and were allegedly negotiating with suppliers in the automotive electronics supply chain.

The report reckoned the Apple Car model”is similar to Tesla,”without expanding on what it meant from that.

Foxconn invests in Chinese electric vehicle startup Byton in January 2021

In January 2021, Apple assembly partner Foxconn was reported to have made a deal to invest in Byton, an electric vehicle firm in China. The deal, which involved an investment of $200 million, was said to target mass production of the M-Byte electric SUV in early 2022.

While not directly Apple Car related, Foxconn’s history with Apple as an assembler could have driven the investment, as it eyes a potential deal with Apple to assemble the Apple Car.

Hyundai manufacturing negotiations in January and February 2021

From January 2021, Apple was reported to be negotiating with South Korean car producer Hyundai to create an electric vehicle, most likely the rumored Apple Car.

The reports indicated Apple was keen to bring manufacturing to the United States in some form, potentially via a factory in Georgia owned by Hyundai affiliate Kia Motors, or involving the construction of a new factory.

Unusually, Hyundai confirmed it was in early-stage talks with Apple, but that nothing had been decided at the time.

Hyundai and Kia have been linked to potential Apple Car production

By mid-January, Hyundai was still”agonizing”over whether to actually work with Apple on the project or to hand it over to Kia. Apparently, executives had problems considering making cars for Apple under Hyundai, as it feared damaging the brand image.

As to the financial side of the deal, one report claimed Apple would invest in the region of $3.6 billion into Kia for the project, with the aim to produce 100,000 cars per year in a production run starting in 2024.

Apple poaches Porsche VP of chassis development in February 2021

Entering February 2021, Apple made yet another high-profile hiring, picking up Dr. Manfred Harrer. The head of Porsche’s Cayenne and chassis development boss.

Previously, Harrer worked as an engineer for Audi, followed by BMW working on steering, then to Porsche. By 2016, he was chief of overall chassis development, and became the Cayenne series manager a few months before his departure.

It was claimed Harrer was motivated by the challenge and opportunity for the move rather than money. His salary at Porsche was more than 600,000 euro ($720,000) annually, and was anticipated to earn in the million-dollar range at Apple.

Kia talks near completion, embrace driverless operation in February 2021

By February 3, Apple was reported to be near to completing a deal with Kia for its car production, complete with its 4 trillion won investment and access to the plant in Georgia.

The Hyundai E-GMP was an electric vehicle platform that was once predicted to power the Apple Car.

A report source claimed the first cars in the partnership”will not be designed to have a driver,”and would be”autonomous electric vehicles”that will be”focused on the last mile.”

The comment suggests the vehicles may not necessarily be marketed as a traditional consumer product, and that it may instead be intended for ride-hailing and other industries.

Hyundai talks pause in February 2021

The discussions between Apple and Hyundai were apparently put on hold reports on February 5 said. It seems partly due to Apple being upset over Hyundai’s public confirmation that talks were taking place.

In response to Apple’s anger, Hyundai and Kia reportedly backed away from the statement.

At the time, it was unclear if the talks would continue in the short term due to internal disputes within Hyundai over whether to hand the project over to Kia or to handle it directly.

Apple explores other options during February 2021

At the same time of reports Apple was halting negotiations with Hyundai, another report said Apple was in talks with other producers, including at least six Japanese automakers over production and supply partnerships.

However, Apple’s reputation of being an exacting taskmaster with high standards was reportedly preventing many from jumping at the opportunity. There was also the worry of being relegated to a subcontractor role.

While being involved with Apple’s brand may also drive profit for suppliers, there is also the demand for changes in production that may upset some, as well as potentially diverting important resources to the effort, affecting other established product lines.

Analysts predict early 2021 partnership in February 2021

Investment bank Wedbush forecast that Apple would announce some form of electric vehicle partnership for the”Apple Car”in the first half of 2021. There was reportedly an 85% chance or better that such a partnership would be announced in the following three to six months.

Hyundai’s missteps weren’t completely wrong to the bank, which put the car producer alongside VW as the top two choices for Apple.

Hyundai’s PR blunder could have cost it the Apple Car project.

UK politicians clamor for Apple Car in February 2021

A number of UK ministers of Parliament expressed a wish for the UK government to step in and try to convince Apple to build Apple Car in the country. This would apparently be in a bid to boost car production in the country, to capitalize on skilled labor in the Midlands.

Ministers called it a”no brainer”idea to put feelers out for a production deal.

Hyundai learned lessons from talks breakdown in February 2021

Hyundai’s eagerness to confirm the discussions were behind Apple’s pausing of talks, analysts claimed. Apple’s anger over the lack of discretion for the talks and subsequent halt demonstrated Apple is extremely serious about its secrecy.

Hyundai’s leadership”might have learned some lessons through this issue,”the HI Investment & Securities head of research claimed.”Keeping internal discussions internal is important.”

Renault touted as another potential partner in February 2021

In more analysis of Apple’s search for a manufacturing pair-up, J.P. Morgan suggested Renault could be a good fit for Apple over Hyundai. One of the reasons was Renault’s existing”excellent track record”in contract manufacturing, something Hyundai seemingly wasn’t keen to undertake.

Renault’s alliance with Nissan may also be a benefit, in terms of global production, while the manufacturer’s excess capacity could be an attractive proposition for Apple to get up and running, with more room to expand if needed.

Self-driving test vehicles drove more in 2020, a February 2021 report states

According to a report filed with the California DMV, Apple’s test fleet drove 18,805 miles on California roads in 2020. This is a considerable jump from 2019, when it reported 7,544 miles of travel, though far behind the almost 80,000 miles in 2018.

Disengagements had improved as well, with human pilots taking control once every 145 miles, against 2019’s every 118 miles. In 2018, it occurred roughly every mile.

Nissan signals it could work with Apple in February 2021

Smelling an opportunity, Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida seemingly confirmed a willingness to work with Apple on Apple Car during the car maker’s conference call. While not directly stating talks were underway, Uchida said the car industry needs to”take new initiatives,”and to”work with companies that are knowledgable, with good experience, through partnership and collaboration.”

At the time, an analyst also offered that Nissan was”the most likely candidate to be in serious discussions with Apple, in part due to the spare capacity in the United States.

The Nissan IMx, a concept car produced by Renault’s alliance partner.

VW”not afraid”of Apple in February 2021

In an interview, VW CEO Herbert Diess said he didn’t believe Apple could pose a risk to established car producers.

“The car industry is not a typical tech-sector that you could take over at a single stroke,”said Deiss.”Apple will not manage that overnight.”

While Apple has put in considerable research and resources into the project, as well as potentially bringing advances in batteries and power management to the table, Deiss is unrepentant.”Still, we are not afraid,”he declared.

Nissan backtracks on”Apple Car”talks in February 2021

Following Hyundai’s backtracking after a confirmation, Nissan did a similar thing. On February 15, Nissan publicly advised it wasn’t actively discussing the project with Apple.

“We are not in talks with Apple,”a Nissan spokesperson said.”However, Nissan is always open to exploring collaborations and partnerships to accelerate industry transformation.”

Nissan declined to comment further on whether there had been talks at all. Reports speculated that the talks broke down over Nissan being reduced to an assembly partner working from Apple’s designs, a similar complaint to Hyundai.

Hyundai executives face investigation on”Apple Car”talks in February 2021

Reports surfaced on February 17 that the Financial Services Commission of South Korea was investigating Hyundai’s leadership, over stock transactions that occurred before the company declared talks with Apple had ended.

It is claimed a dozen Hyundai executives traded approximately 3,400 shares, worth $735,000, ahead of the disclosure. The South Korean stock exchange wants to investigate whether the executives used undisclosed information to unfairly profit from the affair.

When Hyundai revealed it was in talks with Apple, its share value grew by 21%.

“Reviews are to examine whether there is any suspicion (of wrongdoing) or not,”an FSC spokesperson advised. The length of such reviews varies with each case, and the exchange will communicate findings to the FSC.

“Apple Car”loses original project manager Benjamin Lyon in February 2021

Sensor expert and senior team manager Benjamin Lyon has left Apple and the”Apple Car”project for a startup. Lyon was said to have joined the satellite and space firm Astra, though it is unknown why he departed Apple for the company.

One of 11 managers who reported to project vice president Doug Field, Lyon was also one of the first members of the”Project Titan”team, present throughout its lifetime, until leaving the company.

Apple expands LiDAR supplier talks in February 2021

In a bid to secure a key self-driving vehicle technology, Apple was reported on February 19 to be in talks with multiple LiDAR suppliers. The discussions with”a number of potential suppliers”could end up with Apple securing one or multiple vendors of the component.

Report sources claimed Apple was keen to obtain LiDAR technology that would be cutting-edge four to five years from now.

Analyst claims Apple Car could generate $50B in revenue by 2030 in February 2021

“Overall, we think Apple entering the automotive market makes perfect sense. Similar to its other hardware offerings, the company can enter the market at a time of peak technology disruption while avoiding the risk of forming the market,”Kumar wrote.

Citing reports from the time, Kumar pointed out that Apple may be targeting a run of 100,000 vehicles in 2024. Based on that, he said Apple could generate about $5 billion in revenue with just less than 0.1% of the market. If it reached 1% market penetration by 2030, that could grow to $50 billion.

The biggest hurdle is Apple finding a manufacturing partner, since Kumar noted that carmakers don’t want to be”the Foxconn of the auto industry.”

Apple partner Foxconn working with Fisker on electric vehicles by 2023 in February 2021

A deal codenamed”Project PEAR,”short for Personal Electric Automotive Revolution, surfaced in February 2021, which would have Foxconn working with electric vehicle maker Fisker to produce more than 250,000 vehicles a year from 2023.

The Fisker Ocean | Image Credit: Fisker Inc

The plan was to target markets in North America, Europe, China, and India.

Foxconn also teamed up with Chinese EV startup Byton, and the Apple assembly partner plans to provide components for 10% of the world’s electric vehicles by 2025 to 2027.

Apple-Kia partnership still not dead in February 2021

Despite the relationship secrecy snafu, as well as Hyundai and Kia confirming they weren’t in talks with Apple over the Apple Car anymore, a report from February 26, 2021 claimed talks were not fully abandoned.

“Even if the negotiations on electric vehicles fail, there are many items that can be negotiated in other fields, so we are still optimistic about the possibility of partnership between the two sides,”the report source claimed.

BMW CFO claims to sleep”very peacefully”over Apple Car threat in March 2021

When asked about the potential threat of the rumored Apple Car, BMW Chief Financial Officer Nicolas Peter said he sleeps”very peacefully.”

Peter seemed undaunted by rumors that Apple could debut an electric self-driving vehicle in the 2020s. He added that BMW is well placed to take advantage of a shift toward electric cars and away from private vehicle ownership.

“I sleep very peacefully,”Peter said when asked about Apple.”Competition is a wonderful thing — it helps motivate the others. We’re in a very strong position and we want to remain in a leading position of the industry.”

Foxconn could assemble Apple Car, says report in March 2021

Following reportedly unsuccessful talks with existing car manufacturers, Apple may be considering using existing suppliers, such as Foxconn, for the production of the”Apple Car.”

Reportedly, manufacturers are not willing to become contract assemblers instead of car developers. Report sources believed Apple will turn to Foxconn as well as Magna, an auto industry firm that has apparently previously worked on Apple Car.

Toyota president tells Apple to prepare for the long-haul in March 2021

Toyota President Akio Toyoda said in March that if an”Apple Car”becomes a reality, the Cupertino company should prepare for at least 40 years of service and support. Welcoming Apple to the auto business, he warned that the company should brace itself.

Anyone can make a car if they have the technical ability,”said Mr. Toyoda.”But, once they make a car, I hope they’ll recognize they have to steel themselves for 40 years of responding to customers and to various changes.”

“Technology companies entering the car industry means that the car industry has a future, and choices for customers will widen,”Toyoda continued.”We welcome new entries, but I don’t think it would be fair for those people who are newly entering to say,’We don’t need to steel ourselves for 40 years, and you other folks who have been around for many years, you do that.'”

Lucid Motors CEO welcomes Apple in March 2021

Echoing the Toyota president’s comments that same month, Lucid Motors CEO Peter Rawlinson downplayed concerns of Apple entering the EV market.

Lucid Air

“I welcome the competition from a company like Apple,”he said.”Ultimately, you know, this is a technology race. Tesla recognizes that and Lucid recognizes that, and I think that’s what differentiates so many of the traditional car companies.”

Apple Car integration with iPhone poses risk to competitors in March 2021

According to analyst Arndt Ellinghorst from Bernstein in March, the potential integration of”Apple Car”with the rest of Apple’s product ecosystem could end up being its biggest feature.

“That’s why I think it’s one of the biggest scares for traditional automakers out there,”said Ellinghorst, specifically referring to the premium market.”They would be much more scared by an Apple than by a Rivian or a Lucid or a Fisker, or even by a Nio.”

In terms of when to expect the vehicle, Bernstein estimates a launch won’t happen before 2024 or 2025, and potentially won’t happen at all until 2028. However, despite working on it for seven years already by that time, the firm still isn’t”convinced”Apple will actually proceed with the project as-is, citing Apple’s high bar for introducing new products.

LG & Magna partnership very near’to 2024 Apple Car contract in April 2021

Days after quitting the smartphone market to focus on”growth areas such as electric vehicle components,”LG was rumored in April to be doing more than providing EV parts. Reportedly, LG Electronics and Canada’s Magna International were together on the verge of becoming the manufacturers of an Apple EV.

A report at the time citing unnamed sources said the companies were discussing final details. However, as Apple was planning to only produce test-market vehicles for evaluation, the deal would be quite small in size.

Patents: AR windshield HUD, airbags, and lost iPhone finding capabilities

Patents in May and June 2021 relating to the Apple Car offered a few interesting features the vehicle could include.

The first offered a heads-up display projected onto the windshield, providing an AR view for lane control, hazard avoidance, and otherwise obscured details of the environment.

Another offered the possibility of using signal generators and sensors spread out throughout a vehicle to help track down a lost device, such as an iPhone that’s slid underneath a seat.

A third offered a way for passengers to be safer from injury via objects flying through a windshield. Apple proposes the use of an airbag wall that can take the blow from the flying debris, taking the energy away before it comes into contact with the passenger.

Apple expands self-driving car fleet, reduces test driver numbers in May 2021

Data from the California DMV in May 2021 revealed Apple had 68 self-driving test vehicles on the road, marking the first increase in the fleet since August 2019.

At the same time, the number of test drivers using the fleet had decreased to just 76. Since in October 2020 there were 154 licensed drivers, the May 2021 total indicates the driver pool had halved in that time.

Apple loses third manager from”Apple Car”in six months in June 2021

Departing in May 2021 but reported the following month, robotics team leader Dave Scott left the project, making it the third major”Apple Car”departure in 2021 up until that point.

Scott had left in May to become president and CEO of healthcare company Hyperfine.

Apple in talks for Chinese batteries in June 2021

Apple was reportedly negotiating with two separate Chinese technology firms over sourcing batteries for Apple Car in June 2021, with talks apparently held between Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) and BYD. As a condition of a deal, manufacturing would have to occur in the U.S.

CATL was apparently concerned about both the cost of facilities in the States, as well as tensions between the two countries. A report later in July seemingly confirmed the need for US production.

The sources told the report that Apple wanted to use lithium ion phosphate batteries, instead of the costlier nickel and cobalt that is more regularly used.

Apple Car gains BMW electric car executive Ulrich Kranz in June 2021

Ulrich Kranz, the former senior VP of the BMW group behind the i3 and i8 electric vehicles, was reportedly hired by Apple in June 2021. Kranz had spent 30 years at BMW before co-founding self-driving vehicle company Canoo, which he stepped down from as CEO a month before joining Apple.

Apple Watch lead reportedly transferred to Car team in July 2021

A report claimed Apple Watch and health executive Kevin Lynch was moved to the”Apple Car”team. In stepping back from the Health team, Lynch was apparently replaced by Evan Doll, who was to report to Lynch during his absence.

Kevin Lynch

Apple expands self-driving car fleet in August 2021

Following May’s expansion to 68 test vehicles, Apple added one more car to the fleet, bringing it up to the same number it had in operation in August 2019. Apple also upped the number of test pilots from 76 to 92.

At the time, Apple had the third-largest fleet of autonomous test cars in California, behind Waymo and GM Cruise.

Apple reported three collisions during the period compared to GM Cruise’s 153 and Waymo’s 111 accidents.

Foxconn buys new plant for making EV processors in August 2021

In August 2021, Foxconn made another major acquisition, buying a new processor plant for $90 million. Sold by Macronix International, the facility is situated in Taiwan’s Hsinchu, the same city where TSMC was to build its own new facility.

While a memory plant originally, reports claimed the facilities and equipment would be used to develop silicon carbide semiconductors for use in EVs and 5G base stations.

Apple talks components with Korean EV suppliers in August 2021

Continuing its negotiations with suppliers in August 2021, Apple was said to be in talks with Korean EV companies as part of a strategy to outsource manufacturing of first-party electric vehicles.

According to a report, Apple had”advanced meetings”with SK Innovation, a subsidiary of SK Group specializing in EV batteries. The Cupertino company had also met with LG Electronics and auto parts manufacturer Magna International, which both have established a joint venture dubbed LG Magna e-Powertrain.

Foxconn plans EV plants in US, Thailand in August 2021

To offset slowing smartphone industry growth, Foxconn told investors in August 2021 that it was to begin mass production relating to electric vehicles in the U.S. and Thailand in 2023.

“Other than in the U.S. and Thailand, we are also in talks with possible locations in Europe too as part of our global EV footprint strategy,”Chairman Young Liu told investors in an earnings call.

Apple Car could use exterior screens to signal other drivers, patent says in August 2021

An August patent has Apple offering a way for self-driving vehicles to communicate with other drivers, due to the possible lack of small indications that a driver’s silhouette could communicate to others.

Exterior displays could tell other drivers explicitly what the Apple Car will do next.

In Apple’s solution, titled”Exterior Lighting and Warning System,”Apple’s system involves the creation of displays that are placed on and around the vehicle, potentially as an all-encompassing strip of lights. This long display could show a variety of information to other road users, not just that brakes are applied or that they wish to travel left or right.

This can include more detailed braking information, the relative speed of the car to another following behind, countdown timers for actions, and other messages. They can be text, but also could consist of graphics and video.

For drivers parking the vehicle, the displays could show a goodbye message, or welcome the user on arrival to the vehicle itself.

Apple’s self-driving car fleet involved in minor accidents in August 2021

Two cars in Apple’s fleet of self-driving vehicles were involved in minor accidents in August while driving on California roads, though neither was the fault of autonomous systems being tested.

The accidents were reported by the California Department of Motor Vehicles. Both collisions were described as minor and no injuries were reported.

In both cases, the Apple self-driving vehicle was in manual mode — meaning that the autonomous system wasn’t activated. It’s also worth noting that neither collision was the fault of the driver of the Apple vehicle.

Apple hires ex-Mercedes engineers in September 2021

Two former Mercedes engineers were hired by Apple officially to work in the Special Projects Group.

Dr. Anton Uselmann formerly worked on car projects across mass production, dynamics, vehicle steering, and project management. Prior to Mercedes, Dr. Uselmann earned his PhD while working for Porsche. By the end of his five years with the car company, he was working as a Function Developer in the Steering Systems group.

The second hire wasn’t named, but was also said to have previously worked for Mercedes.

Apple-linked firm buys Arizona vehicle testing site in September 2021

An automotive testing site in Arizona reportedly used by Apple was reportedly purchased by a mysterious firm in September 2021, one who has leased the site for years.

The 5,458-acre site is located near Phoenix, Arizona and was formerly used by Chrysler as a vehicle proving ground. Delaware-based company Route 14 Investment Partners LLC has purchased the site for $125 million in cash.

Route 14 was incorporated in 2015 in Delaware, registered under the Corporation Trust Company. Apple had a mail dropbox at the CTC office.

Ford poached Doug Field from Apple in September 2021

Ford confirmed in September 2021 that it is hiring Apple executive Doug Field, who was thought to be working on the”Apple Car”to serve as an advanced technology officer for the automaker.

The automaker is bringing Field on to serve as its advanced technology and embedded systems officer, Ford said in a statement Tuesday. Field previously worked at Apple and Tesla.

Later that month, Kevin Lynch was reported to have taken over the project.

Apple looks to tackle manufacturing by itself in September 2021

Report sources in September 2021 said Apple had restarted its internal”Apple Car”development after it failed to partner with third parties for parts manufacture and assembly.

Sources claimed Apple had started contacting global auto parts manufacturers for part quotes. This was apparently a sign that Apple would select the final parts supplier soon.

Apple grows self-driving pilot pool again in September 2021

After halving the licensed drivers it used earlier in the year, Apple continued to build up its employee count in the field in September. A report claimed the test-bed count remained static, but that the California DMV said Apple was permitted to field 114 registered drivers.

Patent explains how Apple Car could block glaring lights in September 2021

A common hazard when driving is glare, with extremely bright conditions, reflections from windows on buildings, other vehicle headlamps at night, and other light sources can interfere with the driver’s vision.

By knowing the eye position and where bright light is coming from, the system can block the light at specific points in the windscreen.

A patent from September 2021 for an Active Glare Suppression System uses eye-tracking sensors, and others, to work out where the bright light are coming from, and where they need to be blocked. Circuitry then modulates parts of the windows and mirrors to dull or block the light source from the driver’s view, while keeping the rest of the view clear.

Foxconn inks deal to buy first US EV factory in October 2021

A deal was made by the Apple supplier to purchase Lordstown’s manufacturing plant in Ohio for $230 million, as well as taking a 4% stake in Lordstown for about $50 million. Under the deal, Foxconn would produce the Lordstown Endurance pickup truck.

The agreement includes the 6.2 million-square-foot facility Lordstown bought from GM, land equipment, and a number of Lordstown employees.

Apple looked for radar test engineer in October 2021

A posting to the Jobs at Apple website on October 1, 2021, sought a”Radar Test Engineer-SPG,”which would design experiments for”radar performance characterization”and analyze the data.

The job, for the Special Projects Group, appears uniquely suited for the”Apple Car”project.

Apple hires former Tesla engineer in November 2021

Apple hired Christopher”CJ”Moore in November 2021, to work on its autonomous driving software. Formerly a Tesla engineer, he was outspoken about the car maker’s Autopilot feature, implying that CEO Elon Musk had overstated its capabilities.

Apple adds 23 more drivers to self-driving car pool in November 2021

In a continuation of its expansion of self-driving testing in November 2021, data from the California DMV showed Apple had increased the number of driver permits by 23, bringing the total driver count to 137.

However, it continued to maintain its testbed count at 69 vehicles.

Apple aims for a 2025 release in November 2021

A report claimed in November that Apple was accelerating development of the”Apple Car,”and that there was a new potential launch date of 2025.

While Apple had explored two options, namely a vehicle with limited autonomous abilities or one that can function without human intervention, the company was apparently going down the latter route.

Electric aviation losses in December 2021

A number of Apple employees in the SPG at Apple left the company in December.

Senior director of engineering Michael Schwekutsch left Apple for electric air taxi startup Archer Aviation.

Archer Aviation

Barely over a week later, three more apparently left the”Apple Car”team for other similar positions. Two went to Archer Aviation, while a third went to Joby Aviation.

Apple Car schematics allegations in January 2022

Apple may have searched for partners for its Apple Car in 2020, a report suggested in January 2022, with one Japanese part supplier allegedly shown schematics for an electric vehicle.

Japanese auto supplier Sanden’s Texas office allegedly received a visit from a man claiming to be a parts manager for Apple in January 2020. The man, described as wearing a suit, apparently asked for Sanden’s help in relation to high-performance components in a vehicle.

The parts manager then went on to”slowly and deliberately”present schematics of an electric vehicle and air conditioner parts. The two companies then supposedly entered discussions about part requirements.

However, the pandemic forced Sanden into entering debt resolutions in June 2020, effectively killing off its chance of working with Apple.

Apple surveys South Korean car part suppliers in January 2022

Backing up a claim by Wedbush on the topic, an industry report reported that Apple would select its chief partner for the”Apple Car”by the end of 2022. The Wedbush report said that Apple would announce the partnership in 2022, but the newer report said only that selection will be completed.

It was believed Apple has been in discussions with one major manufacturer, but also that it wants to use several South Korean electronics firms.

Quoting unspecified sources from the car parts industry, Korea IT News said that multiple firms had formed a”Task Force”with the aim of jointly getting Apple’s business. Apple imposed considerable secrecy, however, which put some firms off working with it.

The head of software engineering for the Apple Car had reportedly exited Apple in January 2022, in favor of a role at a competitor.

Joe Bass was the Lead Engineering Program Manager for Autonomous Systems at Apple since January 2015. H has changed his LinkedIn profile in January, showing he left Apple for a new position elsewhere.

After leaving Apple, he started working at Meta, as the Director of Technical Program Management for Mixed Reality Technologies.

Tesla design chief: there’s nothing to look forward to’in February 2022

Tesla Senior Design Executive Franz von Holzhausen criticized Apple in a February 2022 interview, stating that the company’s products are”just a slight refinement on the same thing.”

The Tesla executive took shots at Apple, insinuating that the company isn’t breaking any ground with its product design.

“The sad part about Apple products now is like there’s nothing to look forward to. I feel like it’s just a continuation,”Holzhausen said.”It’s just a slight refinement on the same thing.”

Additionally, Holzhausen said that”inspirationally, it’s been hard to get super motivated by what they’re doing.”

Luxshare joined Chery Automobile for EV push in February 2022

Luxshare, which assembles Apple’s AirPods, invested in a Chinese electric car company in February 2022.

Even as Luxshare aimed to take on more iPhone orders for the iPhone, the firm followed its rivals in moving to avoid being too dependent on Apple. Just as Foxconn had recently done, Luxshare turned to the EV market.

The Luxshare Precision Industry firm is formed a joint venture with Chery Automobile’s Chery New Energy division.

Chery New Energy was reportedly to be established within the three months, with a capitalization of $267 million. Luxshare was to take a 30% share, with a new plant under construction.

At around the same time, Luxshare was reportedly aiming to raise $2 billion to fund new projects, including wearable production lines and some for smart vehicles.

Apple Car autopilot system rumored to be connected to new Korean supplier in February 2022

According to a February 2022 report, an OSAT (outsourced semiconductor assembly and test) company had been working with Apple on an autopilot chip module.Unnamed sources in the report claim that the project began in 2021, and was expected to complete in 2023.

There are few further details. The publication says that sources say that the processor, and its outsourcing to an OSAT firm, resemble how Tesla created its autopilot.

Competition between manufacturers increasing to meet future Apple Car demand in March 2022

Apple was rumored to be working with several car manufacturers to build the Apple Car, but eventually, it will need to turn to China if it is to succeed in that market, reports from March 2022 suggested.

Apple was expected to work with South Korean-based Hyundai or Canada-based Magna International at launch, the report said. However, if Apple Car is going to be a global product sold in China, industry sources suggested Apple will need China manufacturers.

Foxconn and the Luxshare-Chery partnership were mentioned, but talks were ongoing.

Kuo doubts 2025 launch as Apple Car team dissolved in March 2022

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that the project team behind pre-production of the Apple Car has been dissolved, and without rapid reworking, the car will not make its expected 2025 launch.

According to the analyst, there was no project team in place at Apple in March 2022. Kuo offered no further details, so it’s not known how long the team had been disbanded for, nor at what stage they were.

Ford poaches Apple executive for Ford+ restructure in March 2022

Apple executive Jennifer Waldo joined Ford as part of the car company’s Ford+ restructuring and ambition to take on Tesla with electric vehicles in March 2022.

Jennifer Waldo [via LinkedIn]

Jennifer Waldo, whose role at Apple was in the much broader one of vice president People Business Partners, shifted over to become Ford’s new chief people and employee experiences officer.

Apple Car rumored to run new custom OS to control all aspects of driving in March 2022

A March report claimed Apple plans to have its own centrally integrated OS for the long-rumored Apple Car, similar to how Tesla has one system operating driving controls and entertainment.

Reporting from its supply chain sources, it was said that Apple was specifically developing an OS that would be”a centrally integrated operating system (OS) like Tesla.”

It would be like Tesla in the sense that it is a single system that controls all aspects of the car. So it would range from driving features such as navigation and lane control, through on-board Apple Music integration, and air conditioning.

Apple hires Ford veteran for’Apple Car’project in May 2022

In a role reversal from a few months prior, May 2022 saw Apple hire vehicle and safety engineering expert Desi Ujkashevic from Ford.

After 30 years at Ford, Ujkashevic was specifically hired for the car project. She started at Ford as an engineer in 1991 before rising to manager, chief engineer, and then director.

Patent application: Siri can choose destinations and ask where to park

In a patent application for”Guidance of Autonomous Vehicles in Destination Vicinities Using Intent Signals”found in May 2022, Apple investigates how a self-driving system could interpret voice commands, automatically decide where best to take the user in response, then ask for more details about where to park.

“For example,”Apple writes,”if the individual states’I’d like to buy some plants for my garden’in the vicinity of a large retail store, the navigation manager may determine that the vehicle should preferably be parked near an entrance marked’gardening’or’gardening supplies.'”

In that case, the car hasn’t just determined the best spot to park, it has first interpreted the user’s statement and decided to drive to that nearby”large retail store.”

Apple Car project loses another exec six months after hire in May 2022

After his hiring in November 2021, it took until May 2022 for C.J. Moore to leave Apple, giving him a tenure of just six months.

Moore departed Apple to work at autonomous vehicle technology firm Luminar.

Volkswagen CEO isn’t sure that Apple wants to build cars in June 2022

The CEO of Volkswagen said he was certain Apple intends to expand CarPlay, but didn’t think it’s likely to produce its own Apple Car.

“I’m not sure if Apple will actually bring cars to the market in the end,”said Herbert Diess in June 2022.”It would be a big effort.”He did speak at the hub.berlin conference of his certainty that Apple wants to provide software for what the car industry calls the”cockpit”of vehicles.

Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly rides Rivian pickup at Sun Valley in July 2022

As part of a visit to the Allen & Co Sun Valley media retreat in July 2022, Tim Cook seemingly checked out a product by a potential competitor in the automotive space.

Rivian

According to people familiar with the event, Cook was seen taking a ride in a green Rivian electric pickup truck in downtown Sun Valley on Thursday. Cook’s use of the vehicle allegedly ferried the Apple CEO from the Sun Valley Resort to a downtown location for dinner.

Apple Car project troubled by management demos and uncertain schedule in July 2022

The Apple Car project has suffered repeated setbacks throughout its development caused in part by a need to constantly prove its worthiness to management, a report from July 2022 said, with Apple spending a lot of the previous eight years struggling to keep the effort on a positive trajectory.

In a profile of the project as a whole, it seemed that the attempt to impact the automotive industry was on rocky ground.

In one key example in a report, Apple used a number of prototype self-driving vehicles to travel 40 miles through Montana in August 2021. The project, which was filmed via drones, was for the creation of a polished video for upper Apple management to demonstrate it was still progressing nicely.

While the video demonstration was a success, including demonstrating that vehicles could drive without needing high-definition three-dimensional road maps over the journey, it was short-lived. The same vehicles traveling in Silicon Valley still suffered from issues, including lane issues and hitting curbs.

Apple hires veteran Lamborghini executive in July 2022

The iPhone maker reportedly hired Luigi Taraborrelli in July 2022, a 20-year veteran of Lamborghini who oversaw chassis and vehicle dynamics at the carmaker.

During his tenure at Lamborghini, Taraborrelli worked on models such as the Urus, Huracan, and Aventador, as well as the Huracan Sterrato and the Asterion concept car.

Along with his work on chassis development, Taraborrelli also worked in areas such as handling, suspensions, steering, brakes, and rims.

YouTuber explains Apple VR patent’s car motion sickness solution in May 2022

YouTube personality Mark Rober has talked about his time at Apple in May 2022, including the reasoning behind his work on an augmented virtual display patent for the Apple Car. Best known for YouTube science videos, Rober was also a former employee at Apple.

YouTuber Mark Rober

During an interview, Rober talked about the patent for a”Augmented Virtual Display,”which could be used within a vehicle. The patent basically describes a VR system where the wearer is in a car, with the system taking into account the vehicle’s motion.

Citing how 40% people suffer from some form of motion sickness, Rober asks”Wouldn’t it be interesting if you could use virtual reality to solve that, because motion sickness is when your internal gyro doesn’t match up with what your eye is seeing, so that’s why if you’re in the back seat and you can’t see forward, you get motion sick because you don’t know what’s happening.”

If you could know about the vehicle’s movements and show that to the user in VR,”you could potentially not get motion sickness,”he adds.

Former Apple engineer accepts plea deal over stealing trade secrets in August 2022

A former Apple employee charged with stealing trade secrets relating to the company’s secretive project pleaded guilty in federal court in August 2022. Previously entering a plea of not guilty in 2018, Xiaolang Zhang changed his plea.

Zhang was a member of”Project Titan”and was responsible for designing and testing circuit bards that analyzed data from vehicle sensors. With massive access to Apple’s various databases containing trade secrets and IP, he downloaded documents and attempted to flee the country.

He was arrested at San Jose International Airport, attempting to board a flight to Beijing.

The details of Zhang’s plea agreement with the U.S. government weren’t made public, but he faced up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Apple Car team reforming before end of 2022, says Kuo in September 2022

After previously claiming the Apple Car team was decimated, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said on Twitter in September 2022 that Apple will”likely build the new Apple Car project team before the end of 2022.”

Kuo was using information gleaned from a survey, which was likely to be made up of supply chain members.

Rumor claims Apple Car debut in 2026 at less than $100,000 in December 2022

In a wide-ranging report from Bloomberg in December 2022, the Apple Car is thought to be taking longer to produce, due to Apple making changes to the project.

Rather than a full-blown self-driving system, Apple was instead planning on a design of car that is more conventional, complete with steering wheel and pedals. Fully-autonomous driving would still be available, but only on highways, the sources claimed.

A launch was also pencilled in for 2026.

As well as a change in timescale, Apple was also apparently altering its pricing plans too. Initially expecting to sell the Apple Car for more than $120,000, Apple was thought to be planning for it to cost consumers less than $100,000.

Apple self-driving test program grows to over 200 drivers in March 2023

Data from the California DMV released in March 2023 showed Apple has 67 vehicles and 201 drivers registered for testing autonomous driving features on public roads.

Apple has increased its authorized drivers from 196 to 201 since January 2023. The number of vehicles remained steady at 67.

Apple registered one collision during the first quarter of 2023, but it was a minor one. The vehicle’s tire and rim made contact with a curb, and authorities were not involved.

Apple has reported 16 total collisions in California since registering.

Apple Car may get parts made by iPhone 3D sensor supplier says March 2023 report

According to report sources in March 2023, the self driving system’s LiDAR capabilities, which is used to sense the road ahead, are being augmented by new sensors. One firm supplying the sensors is Wenmao.

Wenmao is an existing Apple supplier, providing LiDAR sensors that are used in the iPhone, so it has some knowledge of how the supply chain operates and Apple’s high expectations from suppliers.

While it may take a while for the automotive-grade LiDAR sensors to be verified by Apple, it is likely that Wenmao will secure orders based on its previous work and quality standards, a source added.

Patent: Apple Car’s dashboard may look different to driver & passenger in April 2023

A patent surfacing in April 2023 titled”Display With A Time-Sequential Directional Backlight”doesn’t strictly mention cars, vehicles, drivers, nor passengers. However, as it sneaks in”a navigation device”as part of its list of use cases, it may be usable with an Apple Car.

An example of a CarPlay infotainment system

Broadly speaking, the patent describes how a display could present different information to different viewers. One user interface that could be navigation-heavy and light on distractions may only be seen by the driver. Meanwhile, a passenger may see a more typical entertainment-based interface.

The system would do this by polarizing the screen, so two images would be viewable in different directions.

Third ex-Apple engineer charged over Apple Car technology theft in May 2023

The Department of Justice charged a third ex-engineer over the alleged theft of self-driving car tech in 2018, after the engineer tried to hand Apple’s trade secrets over to a Chinese autonomous driving tech company.

The DoJ revealed it had filed charges at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco against Weibao Wang on April 11, 2023. Wang stood accused of the theft and the attempt at taking Apple’s”entire autonomy source code,”tracking systems, behavior planning systems, and system hardware descriptions.

Wang was employed by Apple for one year before he accepted a role for a U.S. subsidiary of an unnamed Chinese autonomous driving technology company. For four months before he eventually quit Apple, he allegedly siphoned off”large amounts”of sensitive technology and source code.

Despite the abundance of evidence and a search of his home search, Wang was still able to leave the country, after promising he wouldn’t. Wang left on a flight to Guangzhou, China, making prosecution difficult.

A slow delivery is possible, but so is a speedy result

The problem with claiming Apple will take a long time to bring the Apple Car to market is that Apple certainly isn’t starting from square one. It already has hundreds of employees on staff that are experts in their respective fields, as well as immense amounts of intellectual property, and importantly, an investment of time.

While we are referring to this as Apple having already spent eight years on the project, in truth it could easily be far longer. For a company to reach a point where it is hiring specific types of engineers and leasing out space, it must have previously put some work in on the idea to validate the expense.

Of course, the variance of development, the ongoing changes in laws and regulations that may affect self-driving vehicle development, and even finding a manufacturing partner willing to work with Apple can all take time, extending the wait before the first Apple Car touches the road.

Apple is also fortunate to be in a position where it has a gigantic war chest that it can tap if the need arises, let alone the tens of billions of dollars it brings in each quarter. There’s no serious worry about running out of cash at this stage, and it probably won’t be a problem for quite some time.

The iPhone maker is firmly in control of its automotive destiny. While the timing of when it will be revealed to the public remains firmly unknown, the project’s extensive history means it could just as easily be earlier than anyone expected.