Apple further delays its EV launch: report

APPLE is reportedly simplifying the design of its beleaguered electric car, reducing the complexity of the vehicle’s self-driving capabilities while at the same time further delaying its launch.

As reported by Bloomberg this week, the delay is the latest in a series for the tech’ giant in its quest to bring a partially autonomous electric vehicle to consumers – the model originally slated for launch in 2019.

The report says the launch of the Apple car is now earmarked for 2028 at the earliest, and that the vehicle will arrive with fewer features than originally planned, the manufacturer dialling back on plans to offer a vehicle without pedals or a steering wheel.

Apple’s electric vehicle will instead arrive with Level 2+ autonomous driving lane centring and adaptive cruise control, familiar to most vehicles presently available. Apple had originally spruiked Level 5 self-driving capabilities for its unnamed model.

“The Apple car project has been scaled back from an autonomous vehicle without a steering wheel or pedals, to an electric car with controls for the driver, and semi-autonomous tech’ no more advanced than that of existing car makers,” the report detailed.

Developed under the Project Titan codename, the Apple EV has been under development since 2014. No official specifications have been released since the announcement of the project was made.

In 2021, it announced that it had recruited former BMW executive and Canoo co-founder Ulrich Kranz to head up the project in what was labelled “a clear sign that the iPhone maker is determined to build a self-driving car to rival Tesla”.

The same year (2021), it was reported that Apple had been in talks with battery and component suppliers including Hanwah, Hyundai, LG, and SK Group with some even going so far as to suggest the so-called ‘iCar’ would be built on Hyundai’s e-GMP platform (which underpins the likes of Ioniq 5 and Kia’s EV6).

Several former Tesla engineers, including former senior vice president Doug Field, are also employed in the development of the Apple iCar.

Bloomberg reports that Apple has sunk a substantial amount on money and resources into Project Titan, including “hundreds of millions of dollars” on the design alone. In recouping those funds, the model is reportedly expected to cost more than $US100,000 ($A151,120).