The Information’s Wayne Ma just revealed some of Apple’s efforts to build self-driving electric vehicles in an in-depth report. In addition to the technical challenges it faced, the report also touched on several leadership changes since the project was launched about eight years ago.
MacRumors noted that the report also revealed some interesting details about the appearance of the so-called “Apple Car.” The latest design is said to feature four adjustable seats for an easy face-to-face conversation with passengers, complemented by a Volkswagen Beetle-like curved roof.
In addition, Apple engineers are said to be experimenting with a suitcase that can be raised for access and automatically fall back when not in use. For infotainment, there are also large seatback screens that can be raised and lowered in the car.
What’s even more surprising is that Jony Ive, the former design director who left Apple in 2019 (the bed board is an independent design company LoveFrom), is still involved in the project as a consultant. The report said it advised the Apple Car team to pay special attention to quirks in the vehicle’s design, rather than trying to hide its sensors.
The Information adds: As previously reported, Apple is targeting a waiver from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to place vehicles without steering wheels and brakes on public roads.
More radically, the report claims Apple has even discussed allowing passengers to lie down in the car. But progress on the Apple Car project has been too slow (years away from launch), and the company may be discussing how to camouflage the prototype in a public testing environment.
If you like our news and you want to be the first to get notifications of the latest news, then follow us on Twitter and Facebook page and join our Telegram channel. Also, you can follow us on Google News for regular updates.