Apple (AAPL) has reportedly delayed the launch of its electric vehicle until 2026, 12 years after the iPhone maker started development with ambitious plans to revolutionize the auto industry. Whenever the long-heralded Apple car arrives, the debut model probably won't autonomously ferry you and your family past stunning vistas in a glass bubble while you sit around its edges facing each other's iPhones. The Apple car you may in fact be able to buy within four years is now likely to come with a boring old steering wheel (and gas and brake pedals) just like all the other cars, and will confine its initial autonomous driving to the highway. Read More...
Reuters
Toyota offers cheaper Prius if customers take software updates
Toyota Motor Corp’s leasing unit said on Wednesday it will begin offering over-the-air safety updates on the new Prius, betting it can use an approach pioneered by Tesla to cut lease prices and preserve used-car values in Japan. The lease program will require customers to opt in for a service expected to bring monthly lease payments down by 10%, Toyota’s leasing affiliate said. The service marks the first time Toyota will update its safety features, including the collision avoidance system, for a car on the road, said Shinya Kotera, president of KINTO, the Toyota leaser unit in Japan.
