Apple made clear that Project Titan remains on the path to produce a self-driving vehicle that likely will take the name Apple Car. However, the smart automobile is not expected to flex its intelligence and muscle so soon, and that's according to Ming-chi Kuo.
Kuo is the analyst whose reputation was solidified by his spot-on projections concerning Apple products and services. And he is convinced the Apple Car is not ready to rock and roll in 2024 as suggested in earlier reports.
In reacting to the report published by Reuters, which claimed Apple's answer to Tesla's electric vehicles is coming out between 2024 and 2025, the Apple insider said the realistic commercial debut for the Apple Car is before the close of the decade. Kuo placed his bet on a 2028 release date, and that is the earliest.
He also believes that all talks about the Apple Car are speculative and the technical specs coming out about the smart vehicle should not be regarded as facts. Kuo added that the project "is still evolving," and any conversations touching on features and specs would be premature.
According to CNBC, Kuo's chief concern about Project Titan is Apple's apparent lateness in the game. The analyst feared that the iPhone maker is not in a strong position to compete against the current EV leaders as the company is too far behind in artificial intelligence innovations.
"One of our biggest concerns ... is that when Apple Car is launched, the current self-driving car brands will have accumulated at least five years of big data and be conducive to deep learning/AI. How does Apple, a latecomer, overcome this lagging gap?" Kuo wrote on his research note.
The report added that Apple is unlikely to see a great incentive in rushing the completion of an Apple Car since the projected profitability is still not promising. Kuo explained too that if the tech giant wants to be competitive in the emerging EV segment, the focus has to be on the AI-powered software to run the car and not the hardware.
The sentiment aligns with the reaction issued by Tesla CEO Elon Musk upon learning of the reported technological innovations that will be used with the Apple Car, according to MacRumors. Musk shot down the claim that the smart car will draw its power from a monocell battery system, which the Tesla boss said is "electrochemically impossible."
It seemed that Kuo is in agreement that racing to achieve more superior hardware for the Apple Car is not the key to the success of Project Titan. The analyst is convinced Big Data or AI should define Apple's upcoming smart car push and not hardware prowess.
