Apple has officially pulled the plug on its electric vehicle ambitions, putting an end to the much-discussed “Project Titan.”
The company’s internal announcement on Tuesday marked the conclusion of a multiyear effort that engaged nearly 2,000 employees since its inception in 2014.
Rather than bearing the fruits of an Apple-branded car, the tech giant is set to redirect its workforce toward the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence, a sector that has gained immense importance in recent years.
During a recent quarterly earnings call, Apple chief executive Tim Cook revealed that Apple is dedicating significant resources to the development of AI.
He emphasized that the company is investing “a tremendous amount of time and effort” in this area and plans to introduce generative AI features for consumers within the upcoming year.
The transition involves a significant number of employees who were previously dedicated to the now-discontinued Project Titan.
The fate of the several hundred hardware engineers and vehicle designers from the Apple car team remains uncertain, although some may have the opportunity to seek positions within other Apple projects.
The company acknowledges that layoffs will occur, but the exact number remains unclear at this time.
Notably, Tesla’s Elon Musk expressed approval of Apple’s decision.
Musk, the CEO of Tesla Inc., took to the X social media site to share his sentiments with a post featuring a saluting emoji and a cigarette.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 27, 2024
The difficulties faced by Project Titan were evident from its inception, with Apple undergoing multiple leadership and strategy changes over the years. The most recent leadership duo, Kevin Lynch and Jeff Williams, assumed control after the departure of Doug Field, who is now a senior executive at Ford Motor Co.
Earlier reports this year by Bloomberg indicated that Apple’s projected release date for the car had been pushed back to at least 2028. The company also scaled down its initial ambitions for a fully autonomous vehicle, opting instead for a model with some self-driving capabilities akin to Tesla’s vehicles.
This shift in strategy contrasts with Apple’s previous consideration of an entirely self-driving car featuring no steering wheel and a wraparound seat interior reminiscent of a limousine.
