Apple Car Design Goals: No Steering Wheel or Brake Pedal, Flat Seats for Sleeping, Large Screens, and More
The Information's Wayne Ma today published an in-depth report reflecting on Apple's struggles to build a self-driving electric vehicle, including technical challenges and several leadership changes since the project began around eight years ago.
![CarPlay Next Generation Screen](https://images.macrumors.com/t/aIaYFxNhf97m85QMTWhJn2XJd50=/400x0/article-new/2022/07/CarPlay-Next-Generation-Screen.jpg?lossy)
Next-generation CarPlay experience coming in 2023
Notably, the report reveals some interesting details about the physical appearance of the so-called "Apple Car." The latest design of the vehicle is said to feature four seats that face inward, allowing passengers to have face-to-face conversations with one another, along with a curved ceiling that resembles the roof on a Volkswagen Beetle.
The report claims that Apple's designers are also experimenting with a trunk compartment that rises for easy access, and then automatically lowers when not in use. Likewise, the designers are said to have discussed large seat-back screens that rise and lower.
Apple's former design chief Jony Ive has remained involved with the project as a consultant, according to the report. Ive, who left Apple in 2019 to start independent design firm LoveFrom, apparently advised the Apple Car team that they "should lean into the weirdness of the vehicle's design and not try to hide its sensors."
As previously reported, The Information says Apple is aiming to gain exemptions from the U.S.'s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to release a vehicle without a steering wheel and brake pedal. Interestingly, the report claims that Apple has even discussed allowing passengers to lie flat and sleep in the vehicle.
As the Apple Car slowly inches towards launching, Apple is now discussing how to disguise the latest prototype of the vehicle during testing in the public, according to the report. However, the vehicle is likely years away from release.
Popular Stories
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service is down for some users, according to Apple’s System Status page. Apple says that the iCloud Private Relay service may be slow or unavailable. The outage started at 2:34 p.m. Eastern Time, but it does not appear to be affecting all iCloud users. Some impacted users are unable to browse the web without turning iCloud Private Relay off, while others are...
Apple is planning to release at least one iPhone 17 model next year with mechanical aperture, according to a report published today by The Information. The mechanical system would allow users to adjust the size of the iPhone 17's aperture, which refers to the opening of the camera lens through which light enters. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android...