Apple’s hopes for a self-driving car have hit another speedbump as the tech giant has reportedly delayed Project Titan and scaled back plans for their first electric vehicle.
After first launching Project Titan in 2014, Apple’s self-driving car has seen numerous delays and changes in design philosophy, with Apple most recently considering building a car without a steering wheel or pedals, with plans to launch it as soon as 2025.
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Those plans have now been scaled back and the release delayed at least another year to 2026.
According to a new report from Bloomberg, citing anonymous sources familiar with the plans, the new Apple car will feature a less ambitious design and include a steering wheel and pedals, while the self-driving software would only work on highways.
The car’s design is still far from being finalized with the sources saying it is in the “pre-prototype” design phase. Leading that part of the project is Ulrich Kranz, the ex-chief executive officer of Canoo, as well as former Tesla, Lamborghini and Porsche designers.
A former Tesla manager Stuart Bowers is leading the software side of the project, with the entire Project Titan team now numbering about 1,000 employees.
In order for the Apple car to come to fruition in 2026, the design will need to be finalized in 2023 and the features nailed down by 2024 in order for extensive testing to be completed in 2025.
If it does, Apple is reportedly aiming for a sub-$100,000 USD price tag, after previously expecting to sell each car for around $120,000 USD.
