Apple appears to be revving up EV-focused Project Titan again after a report suggested the company is looking to launch an electric vehicle with autonomous capabilities in 2024 \u2014 though pandemic-related delays could push this to 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The vehicle could also feature \u201cbreakthrough battery technology,\u201d\u00a0Reuters<\/a> reported on Monday after speaking to people with knowledge of the matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Project Titan has been in and out of the news for the last six years or so; we last reported on the project about two years ago \u2014 and also pointed to\u00a0a 2023 to 2025 timetable,\u00a0citing a slew of reports suggesting Apple has been researching the possibility of building such an automobile. <\/p>\n\n\n\n True to form, the tech company itself has mostly kept quiet on the subject, though it has acknowledged in the past that it\u2019s researching \u201cautonomous systems.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Reuters\u2019 sources, the vehicle would be built \u201cfor the mass market.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The report notes how this would be in stark contrast with companies like\u00a0Waymo and GM-owned Cruise, which have been moving toward the development of ridesharing services using its self-driving cars. However, the approach would be more similar to Tesla, which has had success with its own EVs\u00a0that include autonomous features<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s of course impossible to know how regulations governing self-driving cars will look four years from now, so Apple\u2019s autonomous kit could be incorporated gradually and unlocked as rules are relaxed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It sounds like Apple is focusing heavily on the battery design, too, with an insider claiming the technology could drastically cut the cost of batteries while also offering improved range on current designs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Reuters says Apple is considering a unique mono cell design that \u201cbulks up the individual cells in the battery and frees up space inside the battery pack by eliminating pouches and modules that hold battery materials.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rather than set up the manufacturing facilities itself to build the car, Apple is thought likely to partner with another company to get it made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reuters also points out that there\u2019s still a possibility Apple could scale back its ambitions by instead providing its autonomous technology to an established automaker, meaning the much-anticipated \u201cApple car\u201d may never show up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n