"Apple's Secretive Car Project Gains Momentum: More Testers, New Patent, and Affordable Price Tag Revealed"

Apple is getting closer to making its first car, with more people testing it and a new patent filed. They've added 17 more drivers for testing, bringing the total to 162 as of January 5, 2024. Apple now has 68 vehicles in its testing fleet. Even though they haven't officially announced the car, they continue working on it secretly, aiming for a debut in 2026.

While some other companies have larger testing programs, Apple's fleet has remained stable, with a small reduction in drivers in July 2023. For comparison, as of January 5, 2024, Mercedes-Benz is testing 49 vehicles with 226 drivers, Tesla 14 vehicles with 59 drivers, Waymo 371 vehicles with 664 drivers, and General Motors subsidiary 1015 vehicles with 281 drivers.

Apple is not just increasing the number of testers but also filed a patent that gives a glimpse of the car's interior. The cabin may have four seats, with the front seats capable of turning around, making the car a "mobile office" or "living room." The patent mentions an airbag system that would deploy from underneath the seat in case of an accident.

When the Apple Car finally launches, it's expected to cost less than $100k, use batteries from Japan, not China, and won't be manufactured by Hyundai. They recently added ex-Lamborghini engineer Luigi Taraborrelli to the project.