Apple cancels its electric car project: NPR

Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks while announcing new products on Apple's campus in September 2023.

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Jeff Chiu/AP

Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks while announcing new products on Apple's campus in September 2023.

Jeff Chiu/AP

Apple has ended its secret plans to build a self-driving electric car, a decade-long effort that was seen as one of the most ambitious projects in the company's history.

Apple executives on Tuesday informed teams working on the tech giant's car, called Project Titan internally, that hundreds of employees who worked on the car will be moved to departments working on artificial intelligence, according to multiple reports.

Apple's effort to build a self-driving car is estimated to have cost the company billions of dollars, with about 2,000 employees working on the endeavor.

While some Apple employees are being transferred to work on artificial intelligence products, many other employees are expected to be laid off, although the exact number of workers affected remains unclear.

Apple declined to comment. It was news that Apple had canceled its car project Reported for the first time By Bloomberg, which said Apple was struggling in its quest to break through self-driving technology, just as the electric car market began to slow.

NPR has not independently confirmed the project's cancellation.

The prospect of Apple, one of the world's richest companies, launching an Apple-branded car had the potential to transform the auto industry and was being closely watched by auto executives and Apple fanatics alike.

Despite the anticipation, analysts said Apple is still many years away from launching its own car. The company's engineers have been testing Apple's car technology on public roads for years.

At one point, Apple was trying to build a car without a steering wheel or pedals. But she abandoned the idea, as it was not possible with current technology, Bloomberg said mentioned In late 2022.

Apple has never publicly disclosed the development of a self-driving car, but analysts expect the company to price it at around $100,000. It was seen as a potential competitor to Tesla electric car models in the same price range.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk It looks like you have He welcomed the news that Apple was ending its car project, sharing a post on social media about the move with his own caption: a salute and cigarette emoji.