TLTP
\nCUPERTINO
\nApple is aiming to produce its first electric car by 2024 and will use its own breakthrough battery technology. Apple is planning a new battery design that could radically reduce the cost of batteries and increase the vehicle\u2019s range.
\nThe Cupertino-based iPhone maker is exploring the potential use of cost-effective LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries that are fast gaining recognition in the manufacturing industries. LFP batteries are safer to use than other lithium-ion batteries and are less likely to overheat.
\nIt remains unclear who would assemble an Apple-branded car and the company may rely on a third-party manufacturing partner to build the vehicles. There is still a chance Apple will decide to reduce the scope of its efforts to an autonomous driving system that would be integrated with a car made by a traditional automaker, rather than the iPhone maker selling an Apple-branded car.
\nApple is aiming to build electric cars for customers\u2019 personal use, competing with the likes of Tesla, Audi and General Motors. Other tech giants, such as Amazon and Alphabet, are also backing autonomous-electric initiatives but they are more focused on mass transport.
\nAlphabet\u2019s Waymo is operating a commercial self-driving taxi service, whereas Amazon-backed Zoox is working to create an autonomous ride-hailing fleet. Industry analysts said Amazon can also use automated cars to deliver goods to customers.
\nApple secretly started its automated and electric vehicles development \u2013 Project Titan \u2013 in 2014. It has yet to publicly discuss any of its self-driving goals, but nearly 5,000 engineers and scientists were reported to be working on the project as of 2018.
\nIn January last year, Apple reduced the team by around 200 employees, who were moved to other departments within the company. It raised questions over the future of the project but in a statement, Apple indicated that its automotive project was ongoing.
\n\u201cWe have an incredibly talented team working on autonomous systems \u2026 some groups are being moved to projects in other parts of the company, where they will support machine learning and other initiatives across all of Apple,\u201d the company said.
\nIn the past couple of years, Apple has hired key executives from Tesla to propel its autonomous and electric vehicle initiatives.
\nDoug Field, who had worked with Apple between 2011 and 2013 before moving to Tesla, returned to oversee the project in 2018 as vice president of special projects.
\nSteve MacManus, another Tesla veteran, joined Apple as a senior director in July 2019. Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that Apple shifted the leadership of its self-driving car project to John Giannandrea, its senior vice president of machine learning and artificial intelligence strategy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
TLTP CUPERTINO Apple is aiming to produce its first electric car by 2024 and will use its own breakthrough battery technology. Apple is planning a new battery design that could radically reduce the cost of batteries and increase the vehicle\u2019s range. The Cupertino-based iPhone maker is exploring the potential use of cost-effective LFP (lithium iron […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-163770","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-business"},"yoast_head":"\n