Apple Still Interested In Self-Driving Cars, Sends Letter To Regulators

With Apple’s usual secretive nature, it’s been difficult to get any definitive information with regards to its rumored Project Titan. However, in a letter recently sent to U.S. regulators, it would seem that the company’s interest in self-driving technology is alive and well.

The letter was sent by Steve Kenner, the director of product integrity at Apple, The Wall Street Journal reports. On November 22, it was sent to transportation regulators, indicating that the company was working on machine learning technology that would have various applications; among them is transportation.

It might not seem much, but the letter is the first indication that Apple is actually working on something remotely connected to cars. There’s still no guarantee that the company is thinking about building its own line of autonomous vehicles or that the technology will have anything to do with self-driving products. On that note, based on the comments of the company’s spokesperson, Tom Neumayr, it would seem that Apple is at least going in that direction.

“We want to work with NHTSA to help define the best practices for the industry,” Neumayr said.

Analysts are already scrambling to put their own analyses and interpretations of the letter out into the public sphere, with much expressing confidence that this is definitely a hint that the Apple car might be coming. However, a telling aspect of the letter is also the matter of the company’s request to provide newcomers to the auto industry with the same rights that established brands already enjoy, VentureBeat reports.

Right now, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act has a few regulations that Apple is not happy with, including exemptions that specifically apply to companies trying to enter the auto industry. This is especially glaring when it comes to testing new technology on the roads, which is meant to both ensure public safety and allow companies some level of freedom to achieve their goals.