American tech company Apple will launch its first electric vehicle in 2028. Earlier, the company was going to launch Apple EV in 2026. This information has been given in a Bloomberg report. This car, to be launched in 2028, will not be fully automatic as per the old plan but will be semi-automatic. Earlier, the company's plan was to launch Apple EV without steering wheel.
According to the report, the company has changed its launching strategy. Under which Apple Car is being developed on Level 2 system like Tesla and other electric vehicles.
The car will come in Level 2 driving mode instead of Level 4
Apple Vice President Kevin Lynch is leading the project since 2021. The company has made this change in the old strategy under the guidance of Lynch. In this, drivers have to be ready to take control when needed while driving, despite the autopilot system. Earlier there was a plan to develop it with level 4 autonomy.
What is Level 2 and Level 4 driving modes
Apple Vice President Kevin Lynch is leading the project since 2021. The company has made this change in the old strategy under the guidance of Lynch. In this, drivers have to be ready to take control when needed while driving, despite the autopilot system. Earlier there was a plan to develop it with level 4 autonomy.
What is Level 2 and Level 4 driving modes
Level 2 driving system is Full Self Driving (FSD) system. In this Advanced Driving Assistance System (ADAS) the car handles the primary driving functions. Whereas in Level 4 Autonomous Driving Technique, the car runs completely in auto drive mode.
That means everything from steering to gear, clutch, braking system is automatic. However, in both driving levels the driver can control the car manually if needed. The automatic drive mode is up to level 6. In this, level 6 is completely automatic.
Plan changed keeping in mind the challenges of automatic driving
Earlier, the company has rescheduled the launch date of its EV to 2019, 2020 and 2026. The reason behind the company shifting from Level 4+ autonomy to Level 2+ has been keeping in mind the challenges related to automatic driving and things related to global regulatory. However, experts believe that the company can think of more automated vehicles in the future.
The company has been working since 2015 and has not yet released any prototype
Before this, in this project named 'Titan', under research since 2015, the team has not yet prepared any visual prototype. According to the report, the company's board is also putting pressure on CEO Tim Cook to prepare a concrete plan on the project soon or to close the project.
6 levels of driving automation
Level 0- No automation: This is a completely manual driving mode. In this, the driver controls steering, braking and speed.
Level 1- Driver Assistance: This is a single automated system. It has speed monitor with cruise control. Everything else has to be taken care of by the driver.
Level 2- Partial Automation: With ADAS, the car can only control steering and speed. The rest has to be done by the driver.
Level 3- Conditional Automation: The car does all the driving tasks itself. It has environment detection capability. But it is also necessary to have a driver in it.
Level 4- High Automation: The car does all the driving tasks itself. Driver intervention is optional in this.
Level 5- Full Automation: The car itself performs all the driving tasks in every condition. This is a completely driver-less mode.
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Vipin Kumar