Mark Gurman of Bloomberg has reported on Apple in his weekly Power On newsletter. This time, he delves deeper into the canceled self-driving electric car project by Apple, after nearly a decade of development with a dedicated team.
Gurman details the design of the car Apple had planned, with the final design resembling the Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle from 2020. The sleek white car features curved edges, black window frames that can change color, and a sunroof glass roof, with a goal of achieving level 5 autonomous driving.
The interior design underwent several changes but aimed at providing a minimalist user experience, accommodating four passengers in a private jet-like or limousine-style setting, with a large central display screen.
This final design that Apple settled on was actually inspired by the Volkswagen Microbus from the 1950s known as the “Bread Loaf.” The second design iteration was similar to the Volkswagen ID Buzz from 2017, eventually evolving into the final design resembling the Canoo.
A major challenge in the car design was when Apple scaled back the project from level 5 to level 2 autonomous driving, requiring changes in steering wheels, as well as front and rear windows, necessitating a redesign of several components.
Source: Bloomberg
TLDR: Mark Gurman reveals Apple’s canceled self-driving electric car project with a design inspired by vintage Volkswagen and eventually settling on a sleek, minimalist design with advanced autonomous driving capabilities.
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