GoKawiilListen to this post
Key Takeaways Ford is working with Apple on a new line of electric vehicles.
The automaker is taking the unprecedented step of letting Apple’s software control how electric vehicles operate when they are driving themselves.
The new software will be built into the vehicle, so drivers won’t need an iPhone to use it.
Ford is betting on Apple software to shape its autonomous future.
The $56 billion automaker said this week that it would use Apple software to power driver-assistance systems in its new line of electric vehicles to be released next year. According to The New York Times, the move puts Apple center stage in Ford cars, giving the iPhone maker an unprecedented, essential role in car operations.
Apple CarPlay, which operates in more than 800 car models from major brands like Toyota, Ford and Chevrolet, enables drivers to link their iPhones with their vehicle screens, unlocking functions like Apple Maps.
Ford is taking things one step further by letting Apple’s software help control how electric vehicles operate when they are driving themselves, per the Times.
For the first time, Apple and Ford engineers are collaborating directly to improve self-driving features in cars set to reach dealerships next year. In the past, Apple worked independently from automakers. Engineers will build the new software into the vehicle, so drivers won’t need an iPhone to use it.
“Apple Maps will be embedded in the vehicle, so you don’t have to pay anything extra,” Ford’s CEO Jim Farley said in an interview with the Times. “This is one of the most important announcements for Ford.”
... continue reading