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This assumes Apple is going to release the car before autonomous cars become an established market. Apple probably could have released HomePod back in 2014 around the time Alexa was released. They chose to watch the market unfold and enter when they felt was right.

There's no reason they can't be working on a car that won't be released for 5+ years, after the market has matured.

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Apple typically doesn't announce that far out, though. They usually announce when their products are much closer to market, once they've got a device or two built and in hand that they can show off (like the recent HomePod and iMac Pro).

Granted, earlier this year we saw them meet with Apple-centric press to tell them "don't worry, we're building another Mac Pro, just not in 2017", but those present pointed out how un-Apple-like it was to make such an announcement.

That's exactly my point - there is no working demonstration. This could be 5+ years away for all we know.

If Tim Cook unveiled the new car today, som62345's concern would be valid.

For now, we just know it is an area of interest for Apple and they may one day release a product.

Perhaps the more interesting part of this is that this is the the second time since Steve Job's death that Apple has revealed an area that is working in before unveiling the product.

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