Apple is aiming to launch an Apple-branded consumer-oriented vehicle by 2026, and its goal is to hit a price point under $100,000 to make the car appeal to a wider range of customers, reports Bloomberg.
Apple initially planned to design a car that might look similar to Canoo’s Lifestyle Vehicle, where passengers could face one another in a limousine-style car with no steering wheel or pedals, but the project has been scaled back. The vehicle will now have a more traditional design with a driver’s seat, steering wheel, and pedals, and full autonomous driving will not be available, but the car will be able to use a self-driving mode on highways.
Canoo Interior
Apple’s main competitor will likely be Tesla, a brand that features electric vehicles with some self-driving functionality. Tesla vehicles are priced starting at around $47,000, but can go up to over $100,000. If the base Apple Car is priced at or around $100,000, it will compete with Tesla’s higher-end Model S.
The original plan was to price the Apple Car over $120,000, but Apple is now planning for a lower price point, likely due to the more restricted autonomous driving functionality that will be featured in the first version of the vehicle. Apple has not finalized a design for the Apple Car, but is planning to have a design set by 2023 and a list of features ready to go by 2024. Testing will begin in 2025 ahead of a planned 2026 launch.
Apple continues to look for a partner for the manufacturing of its car, and it has so far only held serious negotiations with Volkswagen, but those talks were many years ago.
Related Stories
Apple Car Project Scaled Back and Delayed, Won’t Feature Full Self-Driving Capabilities
Apple has scaled back its Apple Car project and the company no longer plans to release a fully self-driving vehicle, reports Bloomberg. Apple wanted to create a self-driving car without a steering wheel or pedals, but has decided that such a plan is not feasible at the current time. The vehicle will have guided driving features that work on highways, but it will not be able to operate…
Apple Has Applied for 248 Car-Related Patents Since 2000
Apple has filed for and published a total 248 automobile-related patents since 2000, according to research conducted by Japanese news site Nikkei and Tokyo analytics firm Intellectual Property Landscape. Patents cover self-driving technology, riding comfort, seats, suspensions, navigation, battery management, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) connectivity for car-to-car communication, and more….
Apple Preparing to Add Support for Digital Car Keys on Hyundai and BYD Vehicles
Apple is preparing to begin supporting digital car keys in the Wallet app for two new car brands: Hyundai and BYD. The feature allows users to lock, unlock, and start their vehicles using a pass stored in the Wallet on the iPhone or Apple Watch, and Ultra Wideband with Express Mode in iOS 15 can even automatically lock and unlock a compatible car as you approach without needing to wake your…
Volkswagen CEO Skeptical About Apple Car, Believes in CarPlay-Only Approach
Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess is skeptical that Apple is planning to sell a physical vehicle and believes that the company is focusing on cockpit software instead (via Reuters). Diess made the comments at the hub.berlin technology conference in Berlin, where Apple is also in attendance represented by its vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, Lisa Jackson. “I’m not sure …
British Car Leasing Company Creates ‘Apple Car’ 3D Render Based on Patents
British vehicle leasing company Vanarama has taken a stab at imagining what the first Apple Car could look like, taking inspiration from iPhones, MacBooks, and other Apple products, and combining them with real Apple patents to come up with a 3D concept render that can be explored inside and out. Given that Apple remains tight-lipped about its electric self-driving car plans, the concept is …
Apple Car Team Loses Yet Another Key Employee as Turnover Continues
Apple has long been rumored to be planning an electric vehicle, but the team working on the project has reportedly faced many struggles over the years, including development challenges and the loss of some key employees. One of the latest departures is CJ Moore, who has left Apple to join autonomous vehicle technology company Luminar. In a press release shared by Bloomberg, Luminar said…
Popular Stories
Can’t Get an iPhone 14 Pro? Here’s Why You Should Wait for the iPhone 15 Ultra
Due to production issues at Apple supplier factories in China, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are backordered and basically out of stock at every store. If you were planning to gift or receive an iPhone 14 Pro model for the holidays and didn’t already get one, you’re basically out of luck because they’re gone until late December. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more …
Newer iPhones Allow You to Measure Someone’s Height Instantly — Here’s How
iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max, iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max, and iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models feature a LiDAR Scanner next to the rear camera that can be used to measure a person’s height instantly in Apple’s preinstalled Measure app. To measure a person’s height, simply open the Measure app, point your iPhone at the person you want to measure, and make sure they are visible on the screen from…
iOS 16.2 for iPhone Launching This Month With These 8 New Features
Apple plans to publicly release iOS 16.2 for the iPhone in mid-December, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The update remains in beta testing for now, with at least eight new features and changes already uncovered so far. iOS 16.2 introduces a number of new features, including Apple’s new whiteboard app Freeform, two new Lock Screen widgets for Sleep and Medications, the ability to hide…
Major RAM Upgrade Coming to Next-Generation MacBook Pro
The next-generation MacBook Pro models could feature faster RAM, according to a recent report from a reliable source. MacRumors Forums member “Amethyst,” who accurately revealed details about the Mac Studio and Studio Display before those products were announced, recently provided information about Apple’s upcoming 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. The new machines are expected to feature…
When Will iOS 16.2 Be Released?
Apple in late October began testing iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 updates, providing betas to both developers and public beta testers. As of now, we’ve had four total betas, with the fourth beta having been released earlier this week. iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 are expected before the end of the year, and we thought we’d try to narrow down the launch timeline. With only four betas released since…
Kuo: Apple Headset Shipments Potentially Delayed Until Second Half of 2023
Mass shipments of Apple’s long-rumored AR/VR headset may be delayed until the second half of 2023 due to unspecified “software-related issues,” according to the latest information shared today by tech analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Apple headset render by Ian Zelbo Kuo said mass shipments of components for the headset are still likely to begin in the first half of 2023, but he believes that mass…
iPhone 15 Pro Rumored to Have These 5 Exclusive Features
While we’re still around nine months away from Apple unveiling the iPhone 15 lineup, rumors already suggest that the higher-end Pro models will have even more exclusive features than usual compared to the standard models next year. There are currently at least five features rumored to be exclusive to iPhone 15 Pro models:A17 chip: iPhone 15 Pro models will be equipped with an A17 Bionic…
Nothing Plans to Launch Smartphone in US to Take on Apple’s iPhone
UK-based tech company Nothing plans to launch a smartphone in the US to directly compete with Apple’s iPhone, according to a new report out today. In an interview with CNBC, Nothing CEO Carl Pei said the startup is in “early conversations” with American cellular carriers about launching a new phone in the US, but he stopped short of naming any of the carriers or the phone model. Nothing…
Apple Music Adding a Karaoke Experience With Apple Music Sing
Apple today announced Apple Music Sing, a new feature in Apple Music that lets users sing their favorite songs with adjustable vocals and more. Apple Music Sing will utilize Apple Music’s real-time lyrics to allow users to sing to their favorite songs using adjustable vocals, background vocals, and duet view to allow more than one singer.Apple Music Sing includes: Adjustable vocals: Users…
