[AutonomousVehicles] apple expanding self driving car test fleet in california

[Cornelius Butler]

Hi Everyone,
Apple is expanding its fleet of self-driving test vehicles in California.
Article link and text are below.

Article Link:
https://9to5mac.com/2021/09/13/apple-continues-expanding-california-self-driving-test-fleet-as-it-adds-more-drivers/

Article Text:
After cutting its California self-driving test fleet to 54 in May, Apple
has been expanding the number of drivers as months go by. Now, the company
has over 114 drivers.

As spotted by macReports, Apple has been consistently expanding its
California self-driving test fleet as it reached up to 154 drivers in
October of 2020. Though, the number of self-driving vehicles available is
the same since August: 69.

According to the California DMV, Apple has yet to apply for a driverless
permit, as there are several manufacturers who have driverless permits for
their fleets.

Not only that, since the last report, Apple has had two more collision
counts with its autonomous vehicles, and it now counts five collisions.

Although Apple keeps working on its self-driving technology, it’s still
unclear when it will become publicly announced as the Apple Car. Recently,
the company announced that its VP Doug Field was stepping down from the
Apple Car project for a new gig at Ford and that Apple’s Kevin Lynch was
taking over the Project Titan.

Rumors about the Apple Car also maintain the mystery as a sketchy report
suggested that Apple is now developing its car alone to avoid further
delays.

In this report, Mail Economic Daily said that Apple has “hundred of
vehicle-related engineers,” and it’s selecting final parts suppliers for
its project.

In August, Korea Times reported that Apple was in talks to develop its
electric car with a Korean partner, as the company wouldn’t be able to
complete its EV business plan without partnerships with the country’s
vendor.

As for now, it’s still unclear what Apple plans to create with its Apple
Car project, whether it’s a car for retail sales, a ride-sharing car, or
even just a technology for other vehicles. Its launch is also unclear, with
reports saying it could be unveiled any time in this decade.
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