Apple self-driving car release date news: Letter to NHTSA details Apple's plans for autonomous technology

Apple has been long rumored to be developing its own car, or self-driving technology at the very least. However, the Cupertino-based company refused to acknowledge the project — until now. In a letter addressed to U.S. transport regulators, Apple strongly hinted that it is indeed planning to enter the automotive industry in some capacity in the near future.

In the five-page letter sent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Nov. 22, Steve Kenner, Apple's director of product integrity, expressed excitement "about the potential of automated systems in many areas, including transportation."

According to Kenner, self-driving technology has the potential to prevent millions of car crashes and fatalities if it is properly executed. Thus, it is imperative that the NHTSA regulate the development and application of the autonomous technology. Apple expressed desire in working with the NHTSA to ensure proper monitoring.

Apple also hoped that the regulations implemented would eliminate the unfair advantage that large-scale automakers might have over new entrants in the industry. The letter also suggested that different manufacturers should share data in order gain a more comprehensive understanding of the work that is being developed in this particular field.

The Cupertino-based company acknowledged the letter, and in a statement to the Financial Times, an Apple spokesman said: "We provided comments to NHTSA because Apple is investing heavily in machine learning and autonomous systems. There are many potential applications for these technologies, including the future of transportation, so we want to work with NHTSA to help design the best practices for the industry."

Unfortunately, the letter did not outright announce that Apple is indeed building a self-driving car and whether or not it will be released to the public. Back in October, it was reported that Apple had scaled back plans in building its own car in favor of developing the system that would make vehicles autonomous and possibly licensing the technology to carmakers. Nevertheless, whatever Apple has in store for consumers in the future, based on what has been revealed so far, it is expected to be revolutionary.

According to predictions, Apple could possibly introduce a vehicle sometime in 2020 with a fully autonomous car to follow in 2026.