Apple Car has been pushed back until 2026, but there is some good news

Again. Apple is reportedly delaying the release of the Apple Car until 2026. And, rather than costing $120,000 or more, the vehicle will reportedly cost less than $100,000.

According to a new report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple no longer plans to release a fully autonomous vehicle. So, despite an initial self-driving vision of a vehicle so smart that passengers could face each other inside the cabin, the Apple Car will almost certainly have a steering wheel and pedals.

The Apple Car, like many of the best electric cars, will reportedly have self-driving capabilities, but only on highways. According to Gurman, "Apple currently plans to develop a vehicle that lets drivers to conduct other tasks — say, watch a movie or play a game — on a freeway and be alerted with ample time to switch over to manual control if they reach city streets or encounter inclement weather."

Even that level of autonomy (Level 5) sounds terrifying, and it introduces a slew of legal ramifications if an Apple Car is involved in an accident while driving itself. This feature will reportedly begin in North America and then expand to other regions as it improves.

Here are a few more key takeaways from the Bloomberg Apple Car report:

Cheat sheet for Apple Car

• Apple Car release date: The Apple Car is now expected in 2026, one year later than previously predicted.

• While the Apple Car will reportedly have a self-driving mode: it appears that it will only be available on highways and will include a steering wheel and pedals.

• Price: "Apple had expected each car to sell for more than $120,000, but the company is now aiming to offer the vehicle to consumers for less than $100,000." according to the press release. This would be comparable to the Tesla Model 5 and Mercedes EQS.

• The super computer: Denali, the onboard computer system, is as powerful as "four of Apple's highest-end Mac chips combined."

• Tesla vs Apple Car: Apple hopes to differentiate itself from Tesla by utilising more than just onboard cameras. Lidar and radar sensors would also be used.

• The design is not competed: The vehicle is said to be in the early stages of development. Apple was inspired by the Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle, in which the passengers face each other. That is no longer the case.

What's next for Apple Car?

According to the report, Canoo's ex-CEO Ulrich Kranz is in charge of the car's design, while ex-Tesla manager Stuart Bowers is in charge of the software. 

The Apple car team reportedly consists of 1,000 employees spread across the globe.

Interestingly, Apple appears to be working on a "Rocket Score" for the Apple Car's autonomous driving system. However, the founder of that group left Apple earlier this year after openly opposing Apple's work-from-home initiative.

At this point, it appears that we will see a foldable iPhone Flip before the Apple Car. This isn't the only project experiencing delays. We recently learned that the  initially supposed Apple VR/AR headset's release date could be delayed until late 2023.

It takes time to create the future, isn't it?