Apple Allegedly Discussing Apple Car With Automotive Suppliers, TSMC Working on 'Self-Driving' Chips

[MacRumors]

Though there haven't been many rumors about the Apple Car in recent months, work on the project is still ongoing. Following news from Bloomberg yesterday about a change in leadership, DigiTimes today shared alleged details on Apple Car development in Cupertino.

One of the self-driving Lexus SUVs that Apple uses to test its autonomous driving software​

Apple is said to be in "preliminary cooperation negotiations" with well-known automotive electronics suppliers as it continues to hire new employees from Tesla and other manufacturers. Apple is working with "upstream and downstream" electronics suppliers to ensure that it meets current regulations.

Current discussions have been likened to a "request for quotation" model, in which Apple details its requirements and asks for pricing and other details from vendors.

DigiTimes claims that Apple is working to establish a factory in the United States, and that there is a production plan in place with preliminary technology specifications.

Apple chip supplier TSMC is reportedly working with Apple on some kind of "self-driving chip" at an R&D plant. TSMC is also collaborating with STMicroelectronics to further develop gallium nitride (GaN) technology that will be used in hybrid car converters and chargers, and DigiTimes says that this work is rumored to be related to the Apple Car.

According to DigiTimes, Apple will unveil an Apple Car in 2024 to 2025, and those in the component industry have said that the Apple Car model is "similar to Tesla." The site believes we will hear more about Apple Car suppliers in 2021.

Two years ago, well-respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that work on the Apple Car was continuing and that Apple was aiming for a 2023 to 2025 debut date.

Article Link: Apple Allegedly Discussing Apple Car With Automotive Suppliers, TSMC Working on 'Self-Driving' Chips

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Can't wait to pre-order new Apple Car. Apple I'm ready to hand you my hard earned American Dollars.

Tim Cook is only going to get richer.

 

[jz0309]

Not buying the Apple car... that is such a different space and at apples evolution of prices, a niche market... certain components, sure, but not an entire car

 

[Nismo73]

It’s an iPod, a phone, a breakthrough transportation device...are you getting it???....these aren’t three devices...

 

[Attirex]

Price: US $15,000,0000,000,000,999.00.

 

[DelayedGratificationGene]

Ya know we need the engineering and logistical genius of Apple to come up with an autonomous vehicle and from the looks of it Apple is moving along.....

 

[hugodrax]

Not sure if this is a great idea.

 

[Joe The Dragon]

All repairs and service will need an apple dealer only.
And Tires will be SN locked to the car.

 

[dannyyankou]

It’s starting to get more real. But I’m expecting the base price to be at least as much as a Model S

 

[AustinIllini]

$59,999

 

[DelayedGratificationGene]

No wonder why Gene Munster said yesterday that the outlook is bright for Tesla the only thing that would change his outlook is if Apple got involved......interesting he hasn’t said anything on an Apple Car for months then suddenly that.

 

[rictus007]

Price: US $15,000,0000,000,000,999.00.

Exactly .... it will be crazy expensive. Specially the Apple Car Max or Pro ..... the Mini I wonder if it going to be a motorcycle.

 

[Apple_Robert]

It is still a good ways off but, I don’t think I want to pay the Apple price.

 

[centauratlas]

It will be so thin that more than half the country (world) won't fit. Perhaps that is the goal of Apple Fitness+ .

 

[Jimmy James]

it looks like Apple found a new market for their current implementation of MagSafe. You just conveniently park you car over this mat...

 

[now i see it]

I wonder how much glue will be used

 

[ConfusedChris]

Price: US $15,000,0000,000,000,999.00.

Extra for the wheels.
And special iFixit tools needed to work on it.

I’m wondering what there is that an  Car might do that a Tesla won’t do? “Blacked-out windows, because we care about privacy”?

 

[icwhatudidthere]

Tesla's chip is at 14nm and they claim the chip can do 73 trillion ops/sec. If Apple and TSMC can do a C1 chip at 5nm that focused on ML cores, it'd be really interesting to see how much more they can do. They've already started playing with Lidar and computational photography so they'll have lots of knowledge building up from current applications.

 

[currentinterest]

I am planning on my next new car purchase to be an Apple Car. I will be hanging on to my Q5 until then.

 

[Skika]

Worlds first 5nm car.

 

[routine_analyst]

Can't wait to pre-order new Apple Car. Apple I'm ready to hand you my hard earned American Dollars.

Tim Cook is only going to get richer.

View attachment 1690282

Are you a bot?

 

[JPack]

This is probably the one product that doesn’t need anything close to leading edge processes from TSMC.

 

[smulji]

No wonder why Gene Munster said yesterday that the outlook is bright for Tesla the only thing that would change his outlook is if Apple got involved......interesting he hasn’t said anything on an Apple Car for months then suddenly that.

Tesla doesn't have to lose for Apple to win.

 

[dasjati]

Wheels will be a separate purchase for “environmental reasons”.

 

[jz0309]

$59,999

No wheels included at that price 🤪🤪