Apple to produce self-driving cars, granted test permit
Apple is the newest company to jump into the self-driving car race. Apple disclosed that the California Department of Motor Vehicles had given a permit to Apple to start experimenting its self-driving car technology on public roads in California. The permit comprises permission to test "three vehicles - all 2015 Lexus RX 450h hybrid SUVs - and six individual drivers."
Apple eyes the dream to make self-driving cars
Apple is moving towards learning to make self-driving cars and is between talks with experts at carmakers and automotive suppliers to help with the project. A source privy to the details said Apple was traversing on how to produce an entire vehicle and not just components and is gathering advice on building "high-definition mapping, car-sharing and electric car recharging services".
Apple rumoured to be working on self-driving cars
Word around town is that Apple is working to build a car that will "give Tesla a run for its money". Several hints from the company have pointed towards this. Rumoured to be codenamed 'Titan', the project has only "several hundred" Apple employees working on this project. Apple also penned a letter to US transport regulators to know the rules of self-driving cars.
Apple hires tech biggies to spearhead its self-driving car project
Apple's recent hires resurrected rumour mills who believe that Apple may be working on its self-driving car dream. Recently, Apple hired Porsche's race program lead, Alexander Hitzinger, who will allegedly work on Apple's "Project Titan". Apple also appointed Steve Kenner, a former Ford Motor executive as the director of product integrity and is expected to head the project.
Is Apple eyeing tech redemption with self-driving cars?
Even though Apple remains one of the world's most valuable companies, of late Apple has been slow in innovating new products. After iPad launch in 2010, the company is experiencing a 3-year sales slump and hasn't unveiled any pathbreaking technology. If successful, this could revive trust that Apple has not lost magic after Steve Jobs's death in 2011.
11 companies working on self-driving cars
So far 11 companies have been working to produce driverless cars. These being: Google, Tesla, Ford, Bosch, Audi, BMW, Volvo, nuTonomy, Uber, FiveAI and Intel.
