Apple’s EV launch delayed to 2028

This postponement marks a significant shift in the tech giant's strategy, now focusing on a more basic EV model, aiming to rival current Tesla offerings.

Previously, Apple harboured visions of a fully autonomous vehicle, but the company has recalibrated its aspirations towards a less sophisticated design. The revised plan includes a Level 2+ autonomous system, which, while advanced, offers limited features like lane centring and adaptive cruise control. This is a notable step down from its earlier goal of Level 4 autonomy, which would have enabled the car to operate driverless under certain conditions, akin to a local driverless taxi.

Bloomberg reports that these latest adjustments have pushed the release timeline back by approximately two years from the prior estimate.

The journey of Apple's car project, known internally as Titan and T172, has been fraught with challenges since its inception in 2014. The venture has undergone leadership changes, strategic pivots, hiring freezes, layoffs, and multiple delays. This recent shift is viewed internally as a critical moment for Apple, compelling the company to either deliver the product with scaled-back expectations or reassess the project's future.

Amid these strategic changes, Apple has engaged in discussions with potential European manufacturing partners to facilitate the new approach. The plan includes a post-launch upgrade to support Level 4 autonomy, despite the initial launch featuring a more basic system.

The decision to downsize the project's scope was taken after extensive deliberations involving Apple's board, project head Kevin Lynch, and CEO Tim Cook. The car project remains a significant investment for Apple, with hundreds of millions of dollars allocated annually towards research and development. This investment covers a range of areas, including powertrains, self-driving hardware and software, and other vehicle components.

The Apple Car project has long been perceived as perpetually three years away from fruition, yet its inevitability has also been a constant. This uncertainty leaves industry watchers debating which predictions about the product's future will ultimately prove accurate.