Let’s say all the hoopla is true, and that Apple is indeed working on its own automobile that will debut in 2024. What might an Apple Car be like?
Not the first generation five years from now, but the one 10 or 20 years from now. A Feb. 15, 2015 article by Scott Nyquist at the World Economic Forum gives some hints. The author thinks the “car of the future” (not necessarily one built by Apple) will:
° Weigh much less. “Carmakers are investing heavily in figuring out how to adapt costly carbon fiber to manufacturing.”
° Be greener. “Future cars will certainly spew fewer particulates and greenhouse-gas emissions.”
° Be self-driving (although that may take longer than 10 or even 20 years to become the norm).
° Do self-diagnostics, such as telling you when a tire is low or a brake pad needs replacing.
° Interact with users. The future car could detect if you’re sleepy and take appropriate action if you’re driving.
° Interact with other cars. Future cars may “talk” to each other to, for example, send a warning signal when they’re getting too close.
° Interact with infrastructure. embedded sensors would let vehicles know about road or traffic conditions.
° Offer Augmented reality. Dashboards will be able to spot and identify objects on the road ahead.
° Be a hybrid vehicle or electric only. Personally, I’d bet that an Apple Car will be electric only.
(The concept art in this article is courtesy of ApfelBlog.)