Apple Car launch is delayed to 2026 as company abandons plans for a fully automated vehicle, report says

The long-rumored Apple Car is now expected to launch in 2026 at the earliest. But the tech giant has reportedly scaled down its plans for the vehicle, notably scrapping its vision of a fully automated car that can travel without human intervention in freeways and city streets.

Bloomberg reports that the iPhone maker has now set a new launch timeline for the Apple Car, aiming to bring the vehicle to the market in at least four years. Previous reports claimed that it could be released as early as 2025.

The new release window appears to be a result of another major change in the company’s vision for the Apple Car. Last year, it was reported that the vehicle was planned to launch with full self-driving capabilities. The idea supersedes the current automated driving capabilities of existing cars to the extent that the Apple Car’s design reportedly did not include pedals and a steering wheel.

The publication noted that full autonomy was added to the plans for Apple Car so that it would stand out from existing electric vehicles by the time it launches. But after years of work, management changes, and design revisions, the tech giant reportedly settled to release a car that would be more like a “traditional EV.”

That means the steering wheel and pedals are back on the blueprint. The Apple Car is still expected to offer a certain level of self-driving capabilities that would be useful when driving on freeways — much like other EVs these days. And the iPhone maker is expected to sell the vehicle with a price range of less than $100,000.

The Apple Car still has a long way to go, though. The same report said Apple is still building the vehicle’s platform that would dictate how its steering system will function. And the company has yet to find a partner to make it happen.

Reports in previous years indicated that Apple is planning to include LiDAR sensors, which have been a staple feature on iPhone Pro models for years, in the Apple Car. It is expected to be the main component of the vehicle’s self-driving abilities. Apple was also rumored to be focused on developing advanced battery technology for its first EV.

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