Rumors of Apple’s electric vehicle are running at least two years ahead of schedule and will be released in the third quarter of 2021, according to Taiwan. Economic daily news, which quotes unnamed executives at Taiwanese manufacturers.
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The report claims Taiwanese manufacturers are preparing to ramp up production of “Apple Car” components as early as the second quarter of next year, adding that Apple has secretly tested dozens of prototype vehicles on the road in California. . Apple received a license from the California DMV in 2017 to test self-driving vehicles, and it was spotted that year with Lexus SUVs rigged with LiDAR equipment.
While many sources claim the Apple Car will be released between 2023 and 2025, including analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the report cites an unnamed director at a major Taiwanese manufacturer who said Apple is targeting a September 2021 launch.
While anything is possible, the earlier time frame is questionable, especially because of the consequences of the pandemic. Earlier this month, a DigiTimes report alleged that Apple was in ‘preliminary’ negotiations with automotive electronics suppliers, suggesting that its vehicle project is still in its fairly early stages. The report added that Apple’s chip-making partner TSMC is reportedly working with Apple on a “self-driving chip.”
Over the years, reports have turned as to whether Apple is developing a full-fledged vehicle or working on artificial intelligence and autonomous driving technologies for vehicles in general. John Giannandrea, Apple’s chief of artificial intelligence, recently took charge of the project Bloombergis Mark Gurman.
Given that car manufacturers often announce all-new vehicles years in advance, one possibility is that the Apple Car will be previewed in late 2021 but not released. But for now, the report should be treated with a healthy dose of skepticism.
Economic daily news has a mixed track record of rumors about Apple. The publication accurately revealed that Apple would release a repurposed iPhone 8 in March 2020, almost a year before the second-generation iPhone SE was unveiled, as well as the 11-inch iPad Pro. Rather, the publication falsely reported that a high-end gaming Mac would debut at WWDC 2020 and that AirPods Pro would come in a variety of colors.