The company’s first self-driving car could arrive in 2024.
Although we told you yesterday that the Apple Car could be released in 2021, today Reuters reports that the company will only release its first self-driving car in 2024 with “next-level” battery technology.
Anonymous sources told Reuters that at the heart of Apple’s automotive strategy is a new battery design that could radically cut battery costs and increase the Apple Car’s range . The battery will be based on a “single cell” design that will allow engineers to accumulate individual cells in a battery and free up space within a battery pack.
Additionally, the report reveals that Apple is experimenting with a new chemical blend for the battery called lithium iron phosphate, or LFP, which is safer and less likely to overheat.
It is not yet clear how the company would physically produce the Apple Car, although it is likely that it will rely on a third-party manufacturing partner.
There are several years to start production of the car, and Reuters warns that the company may decide to scale the project and reduce the scope of its efforts to an autonomous driving system that would be integrated into a car made by a traditional automaker. The delays caused by the ongoing global health crisis could also delay production until 2025 or beyond.
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