Apple has decided to terminate its decade-long initiative to develop an electric car, shocking the nearly 2,000 employees involved in the project. The cancellation was announced internally by COO Jeff Williams and VP Kevin Lynch, who indicated that the project, known as Project Titan, would be winding down. Many team members from the Special Projects Group (SPG) will be relocated to the artificial intelligence division to work on generative AI projects, under the leadership of executive John Giannandrea. While some hardware engineers and vehicle designers may have the opportunity to transition to other roles within Apple, there will be layoffs, although the exact number is uncertain. This decision marks the end of a highly ambitious and costly venture for Apple, moving away from entering the automotive industry.
Recently, many companies, including Apple, have changed their minds about making self-driving cars because they realized it’s harder and might not make as much money as they thought.
This change means they’re not rushing to make these cars anymore, leaving the job to specific companies like Waymo, Zoox/Amazon, and some in China, who might take their time but still aim to make money from it eventually.