Mubasher: Apple is planning to manufacture a self-driving passenger vehicle with a new advanced battery technology by 2024, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Apple has been planning to produce its own self-driving electric vehicle by launching Project Titan in 2014; however, the tech giant has withdrawn from the project and reassessed its goals.

In 2018, Doug Field, an ex-Tesla employee, returned to Apple to supervise the project and laid off 190 people from the team in 2019.

Apple's objective to build an autonomous personal car contrasts with rivals, including Alphabet’s Waymo, which has provided passengers with a driverless ride-hailing service through its robo-taxis.

The main part in Apple's strategy is designing a new battery that could significantly cut the cost of batteries and raise a vehicle's range, one of the sources referred.

In the car's battery, Apple seeks to use a unique “monocell” design to increase the individual cells in the battery and free up space inside the battery pack.

Meanwhile, more active materials will be packed inside the battery to increase the vehicle's range.

Apple is also examining a material for the battery called LFP or lithium iron phosphate, which is less likely to overheat, a source said.

In addition, Apple’s car might include many lidar sensors, which are found in iPhone 12 Pro and iPad Pro models, for scanning different distances, another person remarked. 

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Apple's plan could be delayed to 2025 or beyond, two sources warned.