> the company was “focusing on autonomous systems, and clearly one purpose of autonomous systems is self-driving cars.”<p>So autonomous systems != cars<p>Is Apple's foray into autonomous systems purely for R&D, keeping engineering staff engaged, and spend some cash?<p>I recall seeing a video of Tim Cook being asked if Apple was building a car and he said something like Apple looks at a lot of things.<p>To me, and this is just a theory, Apple car was something to keep the media distracted from other developments. For example, Mac Rumors says the Apple Vision Pro was in development for over 10 years. But the first time I heard about the rumor of an VR/AR headset was in 2021.<p>Cars are a whole different competency then consumer electronics. Regulations, service centers, spare parts—talk about a headache! And imagine the fallout if an Apple car crashes or strands someone in the dead of winter. The automotive industry is notorious for turning brand loyalists into disgruntled critics. I see it all the time- people who swear they will never buy BMW, Merc, Jag, Kia, and Jeep.<p>Apple likes to squeeze suppliers. Would they be able to squeeze LG Chem or BYD for batteries on this self-driving electric car? Perhaps Apple Car will have a cheap under powered Hyundai 1.6L turbo and the Apple Car Pro will be electric.