Apple, Spurned by Others, Signs Deal With Volkswagen for Driverless Cars

Apple to go in for Driverless cars with Volkswagen

From iPhones and iPads to autonomous vehicles, Apple has got it’s hands busy. Apple initially had its plans to make its own self driving cars and be a pioneer in the next generation form of transport. But since those initial plans, things have changed. At first Apple concentrated on making their own software for autonomous vehicles and then it moved on to making autonomous shuttles for their employees.

Next came, Apple’s decision to join with an auto partner in making self- driving cars. Apple’s initial choice had been BMW and Mercedes- Benz but talks with both companies broke down and nothing went further. So now Apple has joined hands with Volkswagen to transform Volkswagen’s T6 Transporter vans into Apple’s self- driving shuttles that they use for their employees.

Rough waters for Apple’s Self driving cars:

Apple’s four year plan to make self- driving cars has not been easy sailing. Apple’s breakdown of talks with other auto manufacturers and the fact that Apple- Volkswagen talks have previously not been made public suggests that the program may not be free from worries.

A lack of clear direction and morale has pushed many people working on the project to call it quits. Roughly around 1000 members of the team have quit.

These factors have pushed Apple even further in the race for self- driving cars. Already Waymo, a business started from Google and some start- ups have already started testing out autonomous vehicles on the road.

While some of the autonomous vehicles have been successful, others have discontinued the programs leading to major layoffs.

The origins of Apple’s self- driving program: 

Apple initially took the wheel of self- driving cars back in 2014 with Titan and T172. Apple had plans of coming out with its own self driving car which would be the car version of an iPhone. According to former employees working on the project, Apple had plans of making a plush interior filled car and seats facing each other instead of the front.

Apple took on software engineers, programmers, rocket scientists, automotive engineers, designers and the like to bring to reality their autonomous car. Some of the ideas include holographic displays on the windshields, a sun proof roof made of polymers to reduce the heat from the sun and windows with adjustable tints.

Apple had invested in hundred and millions of dollars in R&D labs around Cupertino including machine shops and labs that dealt with electric car batteries.

Not a Simple Affair:

Apple soon found out that building an autonomous car was not child’s play. After experiencing a number of hurdles regarding the autonomous driving program, Apple soon decided to partner up with an auto manufacturer to build the cars but not design them.

Apple soon went in for talks with various auto manufacturers to bring their autonomous car plan’s to fruition. But none of them worked out until Apple came across Volkswagen. Volkswagen too jumped at the opportunity to work with Apple.
 

Tim Cook Confirms Apple's Focus on Self Driving Car

Self driving car: news, rumors, facts and information on iCar

Under the cover "Project Titan", Apple is researching an electric and self driving car. All information, rumors and pictures can be found here at Macmyth.com

Apple's plans for self-propelled cars are now official - even if it remains unclear how far the iPhone Group wants to push into the business with the mobility of the future. Apple was given permission to test self driving car on public roads in California. The approval, made public on 14 April 2017 by the US traffic authority, is the clearest indication of the ambitions of the smartphone and computer manufacturer in the competitive future market for autonomous driving. Apple is the 30th company to which one has issued in the most populous US state such a license.

Strong competition

Although Apple's commitment to robotic self driving car has long been considered as an open secret, it has never been publicly confirmed by the Group itself. The clearest hint so far has been a letter to the US traffic authority NHTSA, in order to contribute to the guidelines for self driving car. Apart from that, it merely meant that mobility is an interesting future market.

Apple first started the development of its own electric vehicles up to first prototypes a few years ago, but the project then focused on robotic self driving car software. According to data from the traffic authority, the approval has now been issued for three converted Lexus SUVs. GoogleSEO for beginners also started with modified series cars before the Internet company sent its electric two-seater on its own.

Rivals such as Google's parent company Alphabet with its subsidiary Waymo, as well as major players from the automotive sector, such as Volkswagen, Daimler's Mercedes-Benz, Bosch, Ford, General Motors and Tesla, have long been permitted to test robotic cars in California. It was only recently that the transport authority was not able to test its self driving car without such permission, but the traffic authorities did not play along.

Although Apple's commitment to robotic cars has long been an open secret, the Group has not yet publicly confirmed it. The clearest hint so far has been a letter to the US traffic authority NHTSA, in order to contribute to the guidelines for self-propelled cars. Apart from that, it merely meant that mobility is an interesting future market.

Three test vehicles

Apple first started the development of its own electric vehicles up to first prototypes a few years ago, but the project then focused on self driving car software. According to data from the traffic authority, the group has now been granted approval for three converted Lexus SUVs. Google also started with modified series cars before the Internet company sent its electric two-seater on its own.

iCar Release Date Rumours

Apple’s Electric iCar

Since February 2015 reports have been circulating that Apple intends manufacturing electric iCar to compete with Tesla. This source of information had come up after Business Insider had received some facts from an Apple employee with some knowledge on the development on the subject. There were rumours that Apple will now be focusing on autonomous driving system.

 This had added up with the findings of cars that were registered with Apple arrayed with sensors/cameras which had been exposed later and had led to the visions of Apple iCar. The Wall Street Journal had earlier stated that there were several hundred, according to Apple employees working on the project and the iCar had been named `Titan’.

Though many are of the belief that Apple had intention of moving away from autonomous car project, a latest letter addressed to US transport regulators by Steve Kenner, the director of product integrity of Apple conveys something else. Apple had seemingly informed that it had been excited about the prospective of automated system in several capacities, inclusive of transportation as well as there were substantial collective benefits of automated vehicles to be realised.

The same had been confirmed by one of spokesman of Apple that the letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – NHTSA, had been impelled by its `heavy investment in machine learning and autonomous system.

Privacy of Individual – Not to be Compromised

Moreover it also wanted to assist in outlining the best practises in the future industry. The letter had also stated not to introduce many rules with regards to the testing of self-driving cars, requesting that launching manufacturers as well as fresh entrants should be equally treated.

A suggestion had been made by Kenner that companies need to share data from crashes together with near-misses in order to develop a better comprehensive image instead of one company alone supporting in improving the system. And knowing Apple to be focused on user privacy, the same would be out of character of not making a mention of it in the letter.

Besides this Kenner also observed that the privacy of the individual should not be compromised by the sharing of data which regulates `address privacy challenges connected with the collection, used together with sharing of automated vehicle data’.

Enhance Customer Experience

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple had answered during the Q4 2016 financial results of Apple topics on Apple Pay, Siri together with the importance of Apple Car. Though he had not confirmed or denied the presence of the rumoured electric car of Apple he informed that Apple always visualized for methods wherein they could enhance the experience together with the experience of the customers on various sets of products.

He had further mentioned that they are always looking at new things and the car space has been an area which is evident with lot of technologies that will be available or would be capable of revolutionizing the car experience. He adds that it is so interesting from that point of view though nothing to certainly nothing to make an announcement.

The CEO of Apple as usual is being evasive on the topic and considering the same, it does indicate that Apple could have something to make an announcement in the near future.

Apple's Self Driving Car Program Detailed in DMV Training Doc

Apple – Automated System – Self-Driving Vehicles

Apple had been granted permission recently by the California Department of Motor Vehicles to publicly test the autonomous driving technology on the Californian roads.

A new document of Apple has come up detailing the self-driving car training program for drivers. The new document offers more evidence that Apple is actively operating on autonomous driving technology internally. The official papers were obtained by Business Insider entitled `Development Platform Specific Training’, which tends to refer to the `Apple Automated System’, utilised in self-driving vehicles.

Apple had established an `Automated System’ for self-driving vehicles and intends putting select staffers through a training program in order to control the vehicles. As per the documents, the drivers of Apple need to pass seven various tests before their complete training. Every driver is given two practice runs together with three trials in order to pass each test which is said to be a private course.

The documents specify that the technology utilised by the drivers comprise of Logitech hardware as well as basic driving schemes such as tight U-turns with sudden braking or acceleration. Every test includes a goal together with steps to supersede the autonomous system while training with the scheme.

Focus on Self-Driving Software

Though Apple has the liberty to test anything internally and privately, it is the California permit that enables it to test three 2015 Lexus RX450h hybrid sport utility vehicles as per the DMV documentation that had been published recently, which is the same vehicle utilised in the self-driving tests of Google.

Though it had been presumed for some months that Apple had been constructing its own electric vehicle, the recent rumours have claimed that presently Apple has been focusing on self-driving car software instead which is shown by the latest public-facing development. A letter to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in December had shown that disclosed first hand work on self-driving technology of Apple. Self-driving car technology is said to be one of the most prominent arenas in Silicon Valley.

Earlier known as self-driving car unit of Google, Waymo is presently in a high-stakes combat with Uber over its autonomous car tech and analysts have estimated that the industry could be worth trillions of dollars. Apple had refrained from commenting on this issue.

Possibility of Self-Driving Car Platform

For the past three years the work of Apple had been something of an open clandestine and the company initially had intention of creating its own autonomous vehicles. However it turned to an autonomous driving software platform resulting in internal strife and leadership problems.

The company is now creating a driving system under the management of Bob Mansfield wherein the car team have been given till the end of this year in order to substantiate the possibility of self-driving car platform. Such a type of structure would probably permit Apple to partner with car manufacturers as a type of development of CarPlay.

 Apple being ready in testing the software on public roads shows that the development seems to be fairly far-off. If the company tends to take the vehicles out on the streets of California, its works would require to be publicly shared with the DMV established on the law of California.

iCar Release Date Rumours

We have so long heard rumors about Apple working on developing a self driving iCar but none has been supported or disapproved by the Apple. However a recent move by Apple suggests that it is actually working on developing its own self-driving car which might be dubbed as iCar to give some competition to others. Apple has forwarded a letter to the US transport regulars urging them to come up with set of rules and guidelines for the self-driving cars.

Earlier it has been believed that Apple has finally shied away from the iCar initiative but the recent letter to regulator was penned by none other than Apple’s director of product integrity. Apple has also once said that it is excited about the potential of the automated system which can be seen in many areas that included the transportation sector. None of it confirms that Apple is developing a self-driving car on its own.

Apple confirms sending out letter to US regulators

A confirmation has made by Apple that it has sent out a letter to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or NFTSA. Apple has stated that the reason for sending message is attributed to its heavy funding and investment in the machine learning as well as th autonomous systems. Apple wishes to get list of best practices to be followed in transportation when it comes to self-driving vehicles in order to formulate or develop its self-driving technological capabilities within set boundaries. Apple has also urged regulators not to interfere with testing of the self-driving cars by unleashing a barrage of rules and terms rather focus on the usage and implementation n of the technology. This will ensure that the self driving testing and development remains for all without any unwanted challenge or restrictions.

Furthermore Apple also wants competitors and researchers to share information on the crashes and near-misses in order help each other over similar challenges in a neutral fashion. Such data will allow developers to make significant changes on the technology as per the need of the hour without going through similar testing which will eventually amounts to the loss of effort and resources.

Why suddenly move focus towards iCar? 

This year of Apple has not been as great as the last one since the iPhone 7 failed to garner enough support from the critics or fans alike. A majority of Apple revenue is still generated from the iPhone sales which has seen tremendous rise last year. During quarter four financial results Apple’s CEO Tim Cook has to face a number of questions on a variety of products which also included Apple Car. Quite smartly Cook did away with this question by neither confirming nor denying its existence. He mentioned that Apple is looking at some smart and innovative steps towards improving the customers experience on a wide range of products. On car front he even stated that there are already a number of technological evolutions are in progress which might end up revolutionizing the car segment.

In literal sense Apple was winking at other competitors that a revolutionary technology is indeed in development at Apple which possess the ability to rise above the competition.

Apple is reportedly Setting up a 'Car Lab' in Berlin

Apple’s iCar Officially Named Project Titan

Apple is a company with a lot of secrets and its rumoured iCar is officially named Project Titan. The Cupertino tech giant intends to enter the electric vehicle market and is probably moving ahead. As per reports by Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine, Apple plans to set up a dedicated `car lab’ in Berlin. The facility is said to be intended to tap into key talent from the automotive industry in the country, employing between 15 to 20 top class men as well as women from the German automotive industry having backgrounds in engineering, software, hardware and sales.

 The workers at the car lab have been described as progressive thinkers in their own respective fields who have agreed to work with Apple after their ideas for invention were subdued by the more conservative outlooks of their earlier employers.

The labisalso exploring more routine characteristics of bringing a car to market such as who would partner with Apple in the country, a fact which could impact Europe-wide production or distribution that regulation would require to be followed as well as evaluating how far ahead the competitors are.It remains a mystery as to what the iCar would really be an autonomous vehicle to compete Google or something in between.

Branded Vehicle to Hit the Road of Germany – 2019 -2020

The Frankfurter Allgemeine had also claimed that an Apple branded vehicle could hit the roads of Germany in 2019-2020. Sources claim that it could be a small vehicle and launch on a car sharing model identical to service like Zipcar which would involve short-term rental or per minute billing instead of customers buying iCar out-right. Considering the price premium of most of the products of Apple, this could be a blessing to the consumers while also enabling Apple to test demand before a wider release.

Interestingly, automotive manufacturer Magna International has been named as a production partner. Parts-maker owned by Austrian-Canadian businessman Frank Stronach has apparently cut production on the Mini range of BMW, enabling capacity for hypothetical car of Apple. The launch window of 2019 repeats the earlier reports that Apple intends getting a vehicle on the road before the decade is out.

 Last autumn, Apple seemed to be hiring specialist in the vehicle industry and as reported by Reuters at the time, significant figures comprising of Jamie Carnegie Mellon University and Xianquao Tong, who came from Nvidia after creating computer vision software for driver assistance systems.

Technology in Development Stage

The article goes on to recap the earlier speculation regarding the rumoured vehicle research of Apple, observing that the first car of the company will be electric though also claims that it would be lacking self-driving abilities since the required technology seems to be yet in the development stage. Besides this the report claims that Apple is investigating a vehicle sharing model alike to BMW’s Drive-Now and European car rental service Sixt, due to the lack of a nationwide distribution network of the company.

 Related to the earlier rumours, Austrian contract manufacturer of high-end cars Magna Steyr has also been mentioned as a partner for vehicle creation on completion of the R&D. The bulk of research and development is presumed to be taking place in an Apple leased Sunnyvale campus in California, where motor noises were heard, giving rise to speculation that the building is a secret car testing facility for the automotive project of Apple.

iCar Release Date Rumours

Apple Developing Electric iCar – Project Titan

Reports reveal that Apple is developing an electric iCar to compete with Tesla. It has been reported that Apple is negotiating with BMW and rustling Samsung employees, particularly battery specialist and reassigning many of the staff for its Project Titan.

There have been several reports since February that Apple has been working on a car which would give Tesla a run for its money, after an Apple employee had been informed by Business Insider having knowledge on the subject. This was related to the sightings of cars arrayed with sensors/cameras, registered to Apple.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the iCar project has been dubbed `Titan’, which initially stated that there were many hundred, Apple employees operating on the project. This has been backed by new report, claiming that the iCar would be released in 2019, will not be fully autonomous but will be fully electric with a few smart features like it would be complete with emergency braking, cruise control which will handle the accelerator and breaks on motorways and in traffic together with automatic lane changing system which will be activated by a flick of the indicator stalk.

iPhone Experience to Vehicle Through CarPlay

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple while speaking at Wall Street Journal’s WSJDLive conference at The Montage resort in Laguna Beach, California stated that the automotive industry seems to be close to massive change.

However, he refrained from commenting on whether Apple would lead part of the change which Cook forecasts would be seeing users move away from internal combustion engines to electrification. At the conference, Cook mentioned that itseems like there would be massive change in that industry. One may not agree with that but that seemed to be his belief.

This was followed by his refusal to respond to reports of Apple’s development of an electric car to be on sale by 2019. Instead he informed that the company has been working to bring the iPhone experience to the vehicle through CarPlay, Apple’s in-dash system which tends to permit users in accessing their iTunes music collections together with driving directions with the requirements of operating phones. According to the Guardian, Project Titan seems to be on its way, with the newspaper reporting that Apple has already developed its self-driving car and is need of testing.

Apple Interested in Carbon Fibre Reinforced BMW i3 Electric Vehicle

In contrast to several car makers like Google and Tesla, which are testing their self-driving cars on public road, Apple is keen on keeping a low profile. This indicates that the company is in need of some secured doors behind which it could test its private project.

Several outlets have revealed that Apple and the German automaker BMW have been coordinating with one another with Reuters reporting that Apple important person together with Tim Cook have been visiting BMW production facility in Leipzig.

Apple, in particular had been interested in the carbon fibre reinforced BMW i3 electric vehicle which was reported as the most energy efficient car in the US and is believed that the i3 would form the basis of the rumoured iCar, It has been further claimed that negotiations had started in autumn of 2014 between Apple and BMW and are now approaching a final deal. But it is worth mentioning that BMW had been the first carmaker to incorporate iPod facilities in its vehicles and it is entirely possible that Apple is simply looking to secure an agreement with the German company to move its CarPay project ahead.