Apple's colorful mainstream flagship, starting at $749.
Apple Confirms Interest in Autonomous Cars in Letter to Federal Regulators
Last week, Apple wrote a letter to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration telling it that "new entrants" to the auto industry should get the same rights as the established companies in the industry, reports VentureBeat. In the letter, Apple admits to its interest in "machine learning and automation" as it pertains to transportation.Apple uses machine learning to make its products and services smarter, more intuitive, and more personal. The company is investing heavily in the study of machine learning and automation, and is excited about the potential of automated systems in many areas, including transportation.Apple points out that established car manufacturers do not have to pursue exemptions to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards when attempting to test cars on public roads due to the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. New entrants in the auto industry, like Google and others, are not granted the same right under the FAST Act.
The Cupertino company argues that the best way to maximize safety benefits for autonomous vehicles, ensure fair competition and encourage innovation is for the NHTSA to amend policy to state that seeking exemptions isn't necessary for internal development vehicles on public roads.
The other half of the letter, which is dated November 22, addresses the Federal Automated Vehicles policy and a proposed data sharing program. "Apple agrees that companies should share de-identified scenario and dynamics data from crashes and near-misses," the letter says. "Data should be sufficient to reconstruct the event, including time-series of vehicle kinematics and characteristics of the roadway and objects." Apple also points out that data sharing should not come at the expense of privacy, and that companies should invest resources to protect the "individuals' fundamental right to privacy."
In October, it was reported that Apple was abandoning its car plans "for now." After numerous layoffs and reassignments, the remaining members of the Apple Car team were said to be focusing on autonomous systems. Dozens of employees are also working on a car operating system in Canada. The letter was signed by Apple VP of Product Integrity Steve Kenner, who used to be Ford's Global Director of Automotive Safety. It's not known when Kenner joined Apple, as his LinkedIn still lists Ford as his employer.
Update: Apple issued a statement to Financial Times confirming the letter and Apple's interest in helping to define rules for self-driving vehicles.
“We’ve provided comments to NHTSA because Apple is investing heavily in machine learning and autonomous systems,” the Apple spokesman said. “There are many potential applications for these technologies, including the future of transportation, so we want to work with NHTSA to help define the best practices for the industry.”
Related Roundup: Apple Car
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Top Rated Comments
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25 months ago
It will have a single door, including the trunk and the hood. They will justify it by saying it creates more parking space, hence saving trees. And who can disagree with saving trees? With less moving parts it will also have a more rigid construction making it the safest car of its class.
The base model will have a 100 mile range with only a driver seat, starting at $99,000, 200 miles/2 seats for $199,000, and 300 miles/4 seats for $299,000.
The jet black and pearl white versions will be prone to micro abrasions, but there will be a leather Apple cover made from Australian sheep leather for only $9,900.
It will run iOS 15 that ensures your safety by limiting the top speed to the local speed limit. Jail breaking will void your warranty.
The cockpit will feature a single home pedal design that uses force touch, brakes will apply automatically when you lift your foot off the home pedal.
Everything will be controlled with Siri. Here are some examples;
Hey Siri take me to work.
Ok, there are 15 restaurants nearby that serve Pork!
Hey Siri play the next track.
Sorry, I could not find the playlist named next track, would you like me to search the web for "play the next track"?
Ok, lol, I was carried away and bored :D
The base model will have a 100 mile range with only a driver seat, starting at $99,000, 200 miles/2 seats for $199,000, and 300 miles/4 seats for $299,000.
The jet black and pearl white versions will be prone to micro abrasions, but there will be a leather Apple cover made from Australian sheep leather for only $9,900.
It will run iOS 15 that ensures your safety by limiting the top speed to the local speed limit. Jail breaking will void your warranty.
The cockpit will feature a single home pedal design that uses force touch, brakes will apply automatically when you lift your foot off the home pedal.
Everything will be controlled with Siri. Here are some examples;
Hey Siri take me to work.
Ok, there are 15 restaurants nearby that serve Pork!
Hey Siri play the next track.
Sorry, I could not find the playlist named next track, would you like me to search the web for "play the next track"?
Ok, lol, I was carried away and bored :D
25 months ago
It will have a single door, including the trunk and the hood. They will justify it by saying it creates more parking space, hence saving trees. And who can disagree with saving trees? With less moving parts it will also have a more rigid construction making it the safest car of its class.
The base model will have a 100 mile range with only a driver seat, starting at $99,000, 200 miles/2 seats for $199,000, and 300 miles/4 seats for $299,000.
The jet black and pearl white versions will be prone to micro abrasions, but there will be a leather Apple cover made from Australian sheep leather for only $9,900.
It will run iOS 15 that ensures your safety by limiting the top speed to the local speed limit. Jail breaking will void your warranty.
The cockpit will feature a single home pedal design that uses force touch, brakes will apply automatically when you lift your foot off the home pedal.
Everything will be controlled with Siri. Here are some examples;
Hey Siri take me to work.
Ok, there are 15 restaurants nearby that serve Pork!
Hey Siri play the next track.
Sorry, I could not find the playlist named next track, would you like me to search the web for "play the next track"?
Ok, lol, I was carried away and bored :D
ROFL. And you'll have to charge it with a lightning cable...
25 months ago
I wonder, how the thinness would apply.
One thing I wouldn't worry are the seating space. I mean Phil Schiller and Eddie Cue have to be able to sit in them.
25 months ago
I use to get excited hearing Apple would enter the automobile market. Now I hope they stay out of it.
25 months ago
As long as Apple keeps releasing faulty products (Looking at you, MacBook Pro '16), I am not interested in being killed by Apple Car.
25 months ago
So let me get this straight, Apple is complaining that as it's a company with exactly ZERO experience in cars and car safety, it wants the exact same treatment as companies with over a hundred years of experience? Erm no, Apple cannot just bully everyone because it doesn't like the rules, they are really pathetic at this and will no doubt try to buy what it wants.
It's actually pretty dispicable and disgraceful that they want to reduce the laws of road safety they have to obide by, no doubt because they want to reduce costs.
Apple being as arrogant as ever and willing to play with your safety.... personally I would be placing MORE safety regulations and laws on them, because they know exactly nothing about cars and seem to be in an utter mess with what they are doing with them.
It's actually pretty dispicable and disgraceful that they want to reduce the laws of road safety they have to obide by, no doubt because they want to reduce costs.
Apple being as arrogant as ever and willing to play with your safety.... personally I would be placing MORE safety regulations and laws on them, because they know exactly nothing about cars and seem to be in an utter mess with what they are doing with them.
25 months ago
Apple can't create a laptop without GPU issues or QA sound drivers without speakers blowing.
Would you trust an Apple software driven driverless car?!
Would you trust an Apple software driven driverless car?!
25 months ago
I use to get excited hearing Apple would enter the automobile market. Now I hope they stay out of it.
You beat me to it.
Apple's trend with computer hardware, an industry they've been in since the company's creation, shows why the government should NOT give the same rights to newbies as the establishment has.
If Apple enters the auto industry, they're going to have to earn those rights, and faulty, glitchy automobiles won't be acceptable.
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