The secretive Apple Automobile undertaking continues to trundle together with the corporate nonetheless engaged on no matter Venture Titan actually is. Now, a brand new report exhibits that Apple has added extra check drivers to the combination.
Whereas there are extra drivers testing the Apple Automobile than there have been in January 2023, they have not been given any further vehicles to place by their paces, the report notes.
It nonetheless is not all that clear what Apple has deliberate for the Apple Automobile, or certainly if it should ever promote a fully-fledged automobile. But it surely’s greater than clear that the corporate is engaged on one thing associated to a automotive that may drive itself.
Self-driven to distraction
Venture Titan is a reputation that we have been listening to for a protracted, very long time at this level. It is also a undertaking that has gone by a number of group leads, engineers, and automotive specialists. We have heard rumors that Apple is working with automotive producers whereas others counsel that Apple solely needs to create self-driving tech after which promote it on. Regardless of the plan actually is, one factor we do know is that Apple has self-driving vehicles on the streets of California.
That signifies that Apple seems on the California DMV Autonomous Automobiles Program which in flip signifies that we all know what number of vehicles are on the highway and the way many individuals are registered to drive them.
Within the case of Apple, it now has 201 folks registered as capable of check the self-driving autos — a rise on the 196 that had been doing so in January. However the firm’s fleet of autonomous vehicles stays secure at 67, though that quantity is decrease than it was again in July 2021, MacReports (opens in new tab) notes.
Regardless of all of this, Apple nonetheless hasn’t utilized for a driverless allow in California. At present, vehicles from Waymo, Cruise, Nuro, and others are all driving themselves below such permits.
The DMV additionally shares particulars on reported collisions as effectively, with Apple reporting a single collision since January 13, 2023. And the automotive wasn’t driving itself when it occurred.
“On February twenty first, a check automobile working in guide driving mode was making a u-turn from Westbound to Eastbound Homestead Highway on the intersection with Kennewick Drive in Sunnyvale when the correct entrance tire and rim made contact with the curb,” the report reads. “No accidents had been reported and legislation enforcement was not known as to the scene. The check automobile sustained harm to the correct entrance rim.”
Meaning we will most likely say that even Apple’s finest iPhones crash greater than its vehicles.
