As The Information reports, designers for the Apple Car want it to not have a steering wheel or pedals. Which means that the human occupant is strictly just a passenger, with no way to take control should something happen. The report goes on to say that things did in fact go wrong a couple of times, ranging from the car struggling to keep to its lane to nearly hitting a jogger who had the right of way when crossing a street. Part of this is due to the company not wanting to make use of highly detailed, three-dimensional road maps, which most other self-driving car programs use. These have been deemed as expensive and unscalable. Beyond not having a steering wheel or pedals, the latest design of the Apple Car will also have four seats that face inwards. This is to allow passengers to have face-to-face conversations. Designers are also discussing letting passengers lie flat and sleep inside the car. All this points towards Apple wanting its Car to launch with level five automation right off the bat. All things considered, it will be awhile before the company makes it to that point. Back in 2020, a Reuters report points to the company planning to start production of its self-driving EV in 2024. A week later, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo states in his research note that the launch of such a vehicle will only happen between 2025 and 2027. And even then, only if things go smoothly. (Source: The Information via MacRumors, TechSpot)
