Apple Car Crashes: Project Titan Discontinued
The long-rumored Apple Car project, reputedly involving billions of dollars in research and development expenditures and witnessing numerous leadership changes, now appears to have been officially scrapped.
The vehicle project known as “Project Titan” seems to have been canceled, potentially impacting around 2,000 employees. The majority of these employees are expected to be transferred to the development of generative artificial intelligence, with the possibility of some being laid off.
Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman has reported that Apple internally discontinued the development project codenamed “Project Titan,” which is anticipated to affect approximately 2,000 staff members currently working on this initiative.
Apple has already redirected most employees from this project to its artificial intelligence division, focusing on the advancement of generative AI technology. Some of the remaining staff will likely be reassigned to other Apple operations, though it is expected that a portion will be dismissed.
While Apple has never confirmed its involvement in vehicle product development, persistent market rumors have suggested that Apple planned to build a smart vehicle product from scratch. This project, initiated in 2014, originally aimed to create a vehicle without a steering wheel or pedal controls, capable of fully autonomous operation or remote manual control as needed.
Apple has also been actively pursuing its designs for essential components, including powertrains, autonomous driving hardware and software, and interior and exterior decorations, evidently aiming to establish a unique supply chain.
However, recent rumors indicate that Apple has been revising its vehicle project concept, potentially showcasing it by 2028 with a design more akin to electric vehicles from brands like Tesla, rather than the initially rumored fully autonomous operation design.
Reports further reveal that Apple planned to price this vehicle model at around $100,000, nearly matching the selling price of the Tesla Model X. However, Apple’s senior management appears to have reservations about the profitability of this pricing strategy.
