Apple Car Could Be Coming in 2024

An Apple car could be coming in the very near future, giving Tesla a run with its own self-driving vehicles, according to Reuters. Sources close to the company said it plans to produce a passenger vehicle that could include its own advanced battery technology as soon as 2024.

After a shaky start in 2014, the tech company took a step back from its car-making efforts — known then as Project Titan — to focus on its software. Eventually, Apple returned to its car idea in 2018. The company rehired veteran Doug Fields to oversee the new venture and shortly after fired at least 190 employees from the project in 2019.

An undisclosed person, who has reportedly seen Apple's battery designs, reveals the new battery is integral to the company's latest automotive move, saying that it could drastically decrease the cost of batteries and enhance the vehicle's range. The company's unique "monocell" battery will allegedly bulk up the individual cells in the battery and free up space inside the battery pack by getting rid of modules that hold battery materials.

With the new design, Apple would be able to pack more active material inside the batter, giving the car a potentially increased range. The company is also looking into a lithium iron phosphate chemistry for the battery, which should decrease the chances of overheating, making it safer than other lithium-ion batteries.

Sources went on to tell Reuters that there's a possibility Apple will be using an outside manufacturing company to assemble the vehicle, but as of now, there's no word as to who. The company could also choose to go with a self-driving system integrated with a car made by a traditional auto manufacturer.

The company will also use outside partners for other parts of the vehicle, but as for the car's lidar sensors, there's still speculation as to how Apple will handle them. The soon-to-be vehicle will use multiple lidar sensors, which are commonly installed in autonomous cars for three-dimensional views of the road. While the company could develop its own sensors from internally developed lidar units (Apple's iPhone 12 Pro and iPad Pro models both feature lidar sensors), the company may also rely on outside partners to develop them. While Apple continues to push forward with its plans, sources warn the date of the Apple-branded vehicle's release may be