Apple's car-making plan was revealed again. Can software systems alone change the future of the transportation industry?

In the past few years, Apple has been exposed more than once about its car-making plan, but Apple executives have always refused to acknowledge the existence of the car project. Recently, Apple's car-making plan was exposed again, and what is different from the past is that this time it was Apple executives who took the initiative to expose many details.

Apple also said that it has carried out development work in the field of automotive autonomous systems, which could be used to change the "future of transportation."

Rumors of changes to the "Titan Project" have been confirmed

According to reports from multiple foreign media outlets including the Financial Times and Reuters, in a letter submitted to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Apple admitted for the first time that it is developing driverless technology. The news confirmed speculation in the industry that has lasted for more than a year.

The incident started in September this year when the Obama administration proposed a safety assessment guideline to encourage the development of self-driving cars, calling on automakers to voluntarily submit detailed information about their systems to regulators. Apple's positive response this time shows that it wants to take the initiative to participate in the formulation of industry standards and industry policies to pave the way for its own car plans.

In the feedback letter submitted on November 22, although Apple did not disclose any details of the current car-making project, it stated that "Apple is currently investing heavily in machine learning and automation, and has been enthusiastic about potential automated systems in many fields, including transportation, for many years."

Apple, headquartered in Cupertino, California, has been working hard on a car development project code-named "Project Titan" in recent years, but Apple has never publicly acknowledged it.

The highly confidential status makes it impossible for the outside world to know the status of the project. It is revealed that Apple originally wanted to launch its first electric car similar to Tesla in 2020, but due to design and production reasons, Apple had to postpone the launch date of this product. In the subsequent process, the research and development direction was changed from developing the entire car to developing autonomous driving technology, that is, the car's software system.

It is worth noting that the signatory of the Apple letter that was exposed this time is Apple's Steve Kenner, who was previously the global autonomous driving safety director at Ford. Judging from the Apple product manager's head, the existence of an automotive R&D team is a fact, and they have poached veterans from the automotive industry. Apple's autonomous driving is already imminent.

According to people familiar with the matter, Apple executives set a deadline for Project Titan to prove the feasibility of the autonomous driving system by the end of next year and give a final direction for the work. In recent months, Apple's Project Titan team has experienced disagreements and reorganizations.

Why a system and not a car?

In fact, the news that Apple is turning to autonomous driving technology has disappointed most of its followers.

At present, many people regard cars as the hardware products closest to robots created by contemporary technology. Although there are many car brands in the world, there has never been a revolutionary product like the iPhone, including Tesla. Therefore, more people place their hopes on Apple to subvert the automotive industry.

Compared to the mobile phone industry where Apple is more proficient, after more than 100 years of development, the automobile industry has become a rather complex industrial world with various intertwined interests.

To make a mobile phone, developers can buy Samsung screens, Japanese electronic components, Qualcomm chips, Corning glass back panels, etc. There are many choices, and the industrial chain is very mature, so there is no problem of not being able to buy components. The maturity of the mobile phone industry chain allows Apple to focus on systems, design, marketing, after-sales, supply chain management, etc., so the iPhone quickly became a success. It also gave rise to a large number of subsequent smartphone brands, which is what we often say "any brand can enter the mobile phone industry."

The automobile industry is much more complicated. Currently, the technology of the automobile industry is controlled by upstream giants. Newcomers need a long time to accumulate experience to reach a relatively high level of technology. The number of parts in a mobile phone is only equivalent to the small car computer in a car, which is incomparable to the whole car. What is more troublesome is that the automobile suppliers have close relations with the vehicle manufacturers, with cross-holdings, and the relationship chain is difficult to interrupt and rebuild.

Although Apple is rich, it will not invest blindly. Instead of spending a lot of money to create a real body for the car robot, it is better to add an intelligent brain to the car in the field where it is good at. This deal sounds more reliable and closer to reality.

In a certain year in the future, maybe one day Siri on your iPhone will say to you in a soft voice: "iCar detected, all preset items are turned on, have a nice trip". Then you can sit in the main driving seat and play games or watch movies with peace of mind, while your Mercedes-Benz equipped with Apple's autopilot system is safely driving to your destination. This may be the future of Apple's car manufacturing.

Of course, Apple has many competitors at this stage. At present, well-known large companies that have been exposed to be actively developing driverless technology include Google, Ford, General Motors, Daimler, Tesla, Volkswagen, Uber, Baidu, etc.

If Apple wants to change the future of the transportation industry, its competitors don’t have much room or time left.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.