Here's how Apple will be able to catch up in the self-driving car race (AAPL)

pulse

April 12, 2018 7:17 PM

Apple's autonomous car technology project, nicknamed "Project Titan," has long been one of the most mysterious and talked about efforts in the industry.

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Apple's autonomous car technology project, nicknamed "Project Titan," has long been one of the most mysterious and talked about efforts in the industry.

After briefly contemplating building its own self-driving, electric car, the company refined its autonomous car ambitions in late 2016 around building a technology stack that gives cars autonomous capabilities.

This technology stack currently includes software and sensor hardware, but it could eventually grow to include other hardware like cameras and computing systems. Apple has been awarded a handful of patents for self-driving technologies, and has registered 30 Lexus SUVs to test its technologies on public roads in California.

But the tech titan will likely be a late entrant into the self-driving tech market as numerous competitors like Waymo, Uber and Baidu have a multi-year head start.

Apple's best chance at catching up to other players could be through an acquisition, though that comes with its own challenges.