By John P. Mello Jr.Dec 23, 2020 4:00 AM PT
A report that Apple is readying its own self-driving car for release in 2024 is being met with a healthy dose of skepticism by some analysts.
The new vehicle for consumers would include breakthrough battery technology developed by Apple that would "radically" reduce the cost of batteries and increase the vehicle's driving range, Reuters reported Monday.
It explained the battery uses a "monocell" design that allows more active material to be packed into it and thereby extend its range. The company is also looking into using lithium iron phosphate, which is less likely to overheat, for the battery's chemistry.
Also noted in the report is that it's unclear who would assemble the vehicle, but Apple is expected to work with a manufacturing partner to produce the auto.
The report acknowledged, though, that there's still a chance that Apple will pull back from its autonomous vehicle plans and just sell its autonomous driving system to a traditional automaker.
Since 2014, when Apple first set out to design its own vehicle, the company has engaged in automotive research and development collectively under the name "Project Titan."
Apple's policy is not to comment on reports about purported future products.
Pointless Endeavor?
"I am still not convinced that Apple is doing an actual car," observed Tim Bajarin, president of Creative Strategies, a technology advisory firm in Campbell, Calif.
"For one thing, cars can be dangerous," he told TechNewsWorld. "Thousands of deaths each year are attributed to car accidents, and Tim Cook and Apple could never create a 100 percent safe car."
"I am not ..
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