It’s hard to remember how long we’ve been talking about the Apple Car, a car project signed by those from Cupertino and which, according to leaks, has undergone several changes over the years. For example, at the beginning of last year, it was hinted that Apple would work with Hyundai Motors, and shortly after that it even pointed to the manufacturer’s E-GMP platform as the basis for an apple car. And then, after several months of silence, new rumors surfaced, this time on Toyota.

In other words, There have been many rumors, plus all the ones to come, but as is usual with the brand, we will certainly not leave much doubt until the Apple Car is official… if the project does not end up canceled, another possibility that we should not rule out, although there are no signs in this regard at the moment. Stealth has always been one of Apple’s strengths, so they handle it with great skill.

However, there are common points between the rumors and the leaks. In this regard, we told you a few months ago that the plans for the Apple Car will come to fruition, since it has been fully autonomous (level 5) since its arrival on the market. A hugely ambitious bet, because let’s remember that Tesla currently offers Level 2, although Elon Musk has announced Level 3 for this summer and as you may already know or assume, reaching level 4 and 5 will be extremely difficult.

And yet this is pointed out by a new leak that we can read in MacRumors, in which they tell us that Cupertino’s plans would be that the Apple Car has no steering wheel or pedals, that it has upside-down seats and large screens. In other words, the driving experience would disappear completely and the car would turn into a cabin for several passengers who just tell the car where they want to go and let themselves be driven.

when we think about it it makes a lot of sense that Apple decided on Tier 5 autonomy before the launch of the long-awaited Apple Car. If Apple’s history teaches us anything, it’s that its specialty isn’t getting to market first, but doing it in a truly disruptive way. We’ve seen this in the past with its entry into the mp3 player sector with the iPod, into the mobile phone sector with the iPhone, into the smartwatch sector with the Apple Watch… the list is endless, and in this case, a Level 5 bet would be the next step this way.

The bad news for those waiting for the Apple Car to arrive is that it can slow down significantly. We’ve been talking about autonomous vehicles for almost 10 years now, and it looks like we’re just about to start seeing the first systems with Level 3 autonomy, and let’s remember that at Level 3, human driver intervention is still necessary. Although the investigation is accelerating significantly, all indications are that we will have to wait a few more years before this becomes a reality.

Some predictions point to 2025 as the year the Apple Car arrives. Will those from Cupertino be able to finish developing their autonomous driving technology by then? Today it is completely impossible to know because we do not know its current state. But even assuming it can keep up with Tesla, one of the most advanced on the market, three years seems a bit short. Not impossible, but very difficult.