The new year is massive for Apple and it is not only because of its Vision Pro and other upcoming tech, as the company is also adding more test drivers to its autonomous vehicle program. There are speculations that this is for the development of the Apple Car, but it remains unknown if this is meant for that project, especially as it was previously reported that there is a pause.
Cupertino's Apple Car was widely reported as an autonomous vehicle, centering on a driverless experience that captures its technology and features.
Apple Adds Test Drivers for Autonomous Vehicle Program
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A scoop from macReports said that the California DMV has sent a memo regarding this latest development from Apple, with the company centering on its autonomous vehicle program that welcomes new drivers this year. Last year, there were a total of 145 drivers in the said program towards late 2023, alongside the number of its fleet for the tests.
This 2024, Apple has a total of 162 drivers in the program, with 68 test vehicles in its fleet.
However, this was far less compared to the March 2023 report where Apple had as many as 200 test drivers after adding early that year, as part of its plans to grow more of its developments. It was also in 2023 when Apple had the largest testing program in its development.
According to 9to5 Mac, the vehicles in the testing remain the same.
The reports still claim that the Apple Car is "at a stand-still," and it remains unknown when the development would resume to deliver the first-ever vehicle from Cupertino.
It is important to note that Ming-Chi Kuo previously claimed that the Apple Car would arrive by 2026, but it would not be a self-driving car. However, it was later regarded that it hit a snag in its development, currently paused indefinitely.
Apple and its Autonomous Car
Over the past years, analysts and speculators focused on the information behind the Apple Car project, an electric vehicle that will feature self-driving and would be the only mode it would be available in. It was previously regarded that the Apple Car already ran as much as 21,000 kilometers or around 13,048 miles, back in 2021, around California.
Moreover, there were various reports regarding Apple jumping from one car manufacturer to another to aid them in this venture, with Hyundai and Kia among the first ones to be rumored. But, reports were saying that it failed, and Apple made the jump to tapping into the renowned German luxury and performance car company, BMW, as a potential partner in this development.
Years later, there were no longer any talks behind partnerships, but the Apple Car was still said to continue its development, centering on a new chip and dropping autonomous driving for its first releases, allegedly coming by 2026. That is the latest timeline for the Apple Car, but while that is set aside for now, the autonomous vehicle program continues, with new test drivers added this 2024.
