Apple wants to launch an autonomous EV with a custom chip in 2025

Apple has completed "much of the core work" on a new processor to power its secret autonomous electric car project known as the Titan, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The milestone comes as Apple is now reportedly accelerating its schedule for the autonomous car it is developing, with a new goal of launching it in just four years.

Apple's silicon team designed the chip, which Gurman says is the "most advanced component" developed for the project so far. According to the report, the company is apparently getting ready to put the chip through its real-world paces in its fleet of test vehicles in California and hopes to make a vehicle with "stronger safeguards than what's available from Tesla and Waymo."

After multiple pivots, the goal now for Project Titan is to create an autonomous car that doesn't have a steering wheel. Instead, the interior would be spacious and more like the limousine-style seating arrangement that electric vehicle startup Canoo has promoted in its prototype electric vans. Apple was in talks to acquire Canoo, as The Verge reported earlier this year, and recently hired one of the startup's co-founders. In addition, there would be a sizeable iPad-style touchscreen that will run an iOS-like user interface.

However, the business model is reported to be still undecided. Apple has considered creating an autonomous fleet to compete with Uber, Lyft, and Waymo (something Tesla has proposed but is still a long way from executing). Still, Gurman reports that the "most likely scenario" is Apple will sell the cars to individuals.

On the electric vehicle side, Apple is reportedly not looking to develop a proprietary charging cable for the car. Instead, he wants the vehicle to be compatible with the "combined charging system," or CCS standard, which would allow the vehicle to be charged at most public fast-charging stations.

Of course, this all comes after years of reported changes to the project, which began in 2014. Five different executives have led Project Titan after Apple Watch leader Kevin Lynch took over earlier this year. The shift in focus and timeline reported by Bloomberg could be a sign that real progress is being made with him at the helm, or it could become the latest footnote on whatever the project becomes next.