Apple's car could not only be autonomous, but also run on electricity and not gasoline.
162 drivers are responsible for monitoring the autonomous driving of Apple's 68 self-driving cars. The information was, as it is several times a year, confirmed by an American institution responsible for regulating the market, even before it became available to the general public. However, don't expect to see the Apple Car arrive anytime soon. Indeed, unlike Apple Plans vehicles which are clearly visible on the street , Cupertino's autonomous machines are particularly well hidden.
These have never really been seen at the moment, and the manufacturer has not wanted to confirm the existence of “ Project Titan ” either. That's the code name for the Apple Car, internally, it seems. Despite everything, you should know that Apple has also filed numerous patents with the USPTO*, evoking driverless automobiles in black and white. There is therefore no doubt that such a system is in development, in the greatest secrecy (or almost).
As a reminder, the role of the “driver” is above all to take over the wheel in the event of an error in the autonomous system, in order to avoid a potential accident.
Google is far ahead
To understand the extent of Apple's fleet, it may be wise to compare it with those of other players in the autonomous car world. Starting with the world leader in this field, namely Google (Alphabet). Its subsidiary Waymo , which already operates autonomous taxis across the Atlantic, counts on no less than 664 active drivers, for its part. For an official total of 371 cars.
Mercedes Benz , for its part, works alongside 226 drivers – for 49 vehicles in total. It is not known whether the German manufacturer also has test tracks in the United States, but this is the case for example with Apple and Toyota. Circuits have in fact been allocated to the two companies in the Nevada desert, a large expanse conducive to this type of “discreet” project.
No release date yet
Often, even Apple's most confidential projects have a release date – at least internally. And this was probably the case for the Apple Car, only here we are: we are arriving in 2024 , one of the dates anticipated a few years ago already. And no Apple Car in sight.
Analysts are betting more on an arrival in 2026 for the most optimistic, but aiming for the end of the decade is more rigorous, in our opinion.
*institution responsible for validating patents to protect the intellectual property of companies, in the United States (equivalent to the INPI in France)
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