Apple has cancelled its long-running electric car (EV) project, according to a source who spoke to Reuters.
The Cupertino, California-based tech giant has reportedly been working on an electric vehicle in some form for roughly a decade. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, many of the roughly 2,000 employees working on the EV project have been shifted to Apple’s AI division. On the other hand, the hundreds of hardware engineers and car designers working on the “Apple Car” will reportedly have the opportunity to apply to other divisions at Apple.
Known as “Project Titan,” Apple’s automotive ambitions have taken several forms over the years, including, at least initially, a fully autonomous vehicle without any pedals or a steering wheel. Some early rumours indicated the car was fully autonomous, while others stated the vehicle would only feature some level of self-driving. Layoffs and restructuring have plagued the team working on the car. At one point, the tech giant reportedly even met with Hyundai and Kia regarding a possible manufacturing partnership.
Most recently, reports indicated that the Apple Car could have released in 2028 and that the current iteration took the form of a vehicle similar to Tesla’s Model 3 or Hyundai’s Ioniq 5.
As someone who has covered rumours surrounding the Apple Car over the past decade, it’s clear Project Titan has been a mess for Apple for. Still, it would have been fascinating to see what the tech giant’s take on an electric car would have looked like. In the coming months, more information about the Apple Car will likely leak, especially now that it’s cancelled.
Apple has yet to comment on the reported cancellation of its EV project. The tech giant has never spoken publically about Project Titan