Little has been said about the long-awaited electric vehicle from Apple over the past 12 months and according to one analyst, it is becoming increasingly unlikely that the EV will launch in the next few years unless the technology giant can make rapid headway.
The analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, has suggested that Apple has to adopt some kind of acquisition strategy if it is serious about entering the automotive space in the coming years. While the analyst doesn’t specify what kind of acquisitions Apple would benefit from making, there’s little doubt that going it alone will prolong the development of the iCar. Such a strategy would also be at odds with much of the EV industry where partnerships and consolidation are becoming increasingly common.
One of the last comprehensive reports about Apple’s EV came in December last year. This report suggested that the company had decided against developing a fully autonomous vehicle and that it would instead build one with traditional controls equipped with advanced driver-assistance systems. The same report indicated that Apple had pushed back the car’s planned launch date from 2025 to 2026.
Read: Apple’s Californian Autonomous Car Program Is Larger Than Both Tesla’s And Mercedes’ Efforts
Industry insiders say that Apple car project leader Kevin Lynch had initially pushed for the company to launch a Level 5 autonomous car in 2025 but it now appears more likely the iCar will simply offer autonomous driving functionalities on highways.
Tipped to underpin Apple’s autonomous technology package is an onboard computer system codenamed Denali. This system has the processing performance of four of Apple’s highest-end Mac chips combined. This powerful computer is necessary as the iCar will be outfitted with cameras, radars, LiDAR, and include a cloud-based component for artificial intelligence processing using Amazon Web Services for hosting.
It remains unclear what kind of platform will underpin the vehicle. Apple has been searching for an architecture partner for several years and in early 2021, was said to be close to a deal with Hyundai and Kia. However, talks between the companies ceased in February of that year.
