Rumors about Apple entering the automotive business may have died down since they peaked in 2021.
And again when rumors about an Apple-Kia tie-up sent shares in the Korean automaker soaring.
Apple is competing with Tesla in self-driving cars
Since then, Toyota and Porsche have been in competition, but other than a few fleeting meetings, we're still nowhere near finding what the iCar looks like.
However, what we do know is that Apple is moving forward with its plans to bring the car to market.
It looks like Apple is supporting its self-driving technology, which would undoubtedly pit the corporation against Tesla.
According to a report by MacReports, based on the latest data from the California DMV self-driving vehicle program, Apple is increasingly working to increase the number of drivers for self-driving models.
.webp "Apple is competing with Tesla in the self-driving car program")
The number of self-driving drivers now stands at 201, while its self-driving fleet includes 67 cars, far more than the share of Tesla which deploys just 59 drivers across 14 cars.
Additionally, Apple's independent California fleet is bigger than Mercedes-Benz's, which runs 55 vehicles with 179 drivers.
While Nvidia scores more drivers at 262 but runs far fewer cars, with just 13.
Other information gleaned from the report is that Apple's self-driving cars have had 16 collisions.
So while Apple is still on the fence about its potential entry into the automotive world, we at least know that its team of testers is developing rapidly.
However, a report from the end of last year suggested that the project was aiming for a 2026 launch, even though the iPhone manufacturer may not have secured a partner to produce a car with it.
According to the same claim, the Apple Car would directly compete with the Tesla Model S and Mercedes-Benz EQS if it were to enter the market and be priced in the $100,000 to $150,000 area.