Two Apple Car Concept Designs That Might Come True, Cocoon Or Box?

Concept image of the Apple Car display that may be released soon. Could it be like this? (photo: Devanga Borah)

JAKARTA - An engineer from India has made a concept image of the Apple Car display which may be released soon. An artistic rendering has been created by Devanga Borah, a mechanical engineer at the University of Tezpur in India, for an autonomous and fully electric vehicle.

The rendering depicts a strange white car consisting of a round pod that rotates 360 degrees on four wheels. The pod has a circular entrance that opens like some sedan doors to reveal a two-seat 'cocoon-like cockpit'.

This image is reminiscent of Apple's eMac computer from 2002, the vehicle is painted a glossy white color and features the Apple logo between the set of front and rear wheels.

Borah's picture, posted to his Instagram page. But this is just his interpretation of the upcoming car from Apple, which has been in development for about eight years.

Little is actually known to the public about Apple's project, codenamed Project Titan, although previous reports indicated that the product could hit the market in 2024.

Apple Cars can come in the form of physical vehicles or even self-driving software systems offered through traditional automakers, such as iOS for cars.

“Apple cars is the new buzz and given that I have created this micro concept car, which is autonomous, electrified, and truly 'applelic',” said Borah, who has called the design the 'Apple Autonomous' and calls it the 'future of transportation'.

One of the drawbacks of the design is the ball-shaped pod which looks a little pokey. The design is also windowless, meaning passengers will not be able to enjoy the view as they are encouraged to work with autonomous technology.

The design would also have to rely on artificial lights to ensure passengers don't sit in the dark, which could be an unnecessary "power drain" in the concept car.

The long-awaited Apple car has been envisioned in another rendering, British car rental company Vanarama has created an image of a sleek gray vehicle with sharp corners and a glowing Apple logo on the radiator grille.

The Vanarama version of the Apple Car concept car (photo: @vanarama)

The Vanarama design, which is based on an original patent filed by Apple, also includes a customizable touchscreen dashboard and Siri-like 'intelligent automated assistants' to monitor driving.

"While there is virtually no way of knowing what the finished product will look like, this patent is perhaps the best indication of the direction Apple is taking," said Vanarama CEO Andy Alderson, as quoted by Dailymail.

"It's the next level," the source told Reuters. “It's like the first time you see an iPhone.'

It remains unclear who will assemble the Apple-branded cars, but a source said they expect the company to rely on manufacturing partners.

Apple cars may feature multiple lidar sensors to scan at different distances. Lidar engages lasers that send out short pulses, which bounce back when they hit an obstacle.

Reuters previously reported that Apple had held talks with potential lidar suppliers, but was also examining options for building its own sensors.

Back in 2015, Apple board member Mickey Drexler told Business Insider that Steve Jobs considered building a car before he died in 2011.

Recent reports suggest that Apple's car work is still ongoing, although the tech giant has been very secretive about its progress.

Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed Apple was working on making cars in a brief interview with Bloomberg in 2017, though he said his company was 'focused on autonomous systems' more than physical vehicles.

"We kind of see her as the mother of all AI projects," Cook said in the interview. 'This was probably one of the most difficult AI projects to work on.'

The company is targeting 2024 to produce passenger vehicles, according to sources cited by Reuters in late 2020, although the Covid pandemic may have pushed it back.

The car will be powered by 'monocell' battery technology that could radically reduce costs and increase the vehicle's range before recharging is required, sources claimed at the time.

Apple appears to be considering lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, which are inherently less likely to overheat and therefore safer than other types of lithium-ion batteries.