In a startling shift of direction, tech giant Apple is halting its much-discussed electric car initiative, signaling the end of a decade-long venture that has seen vast investment, according to multiple reports.
Tuesday’s internal meeting revealed the change in strategy, with executives projecting potential layoffs and the redeployment of staff to burgeoning artificial intelligence projects, The New York Times reported.
Known internally as Project Titan, it’s speculated that the endeavor demanded billions from Apple‘s coffers in pursuit of developing a semi-autonomous electric vehicle. Abandoning the vision marks a stark deviation from the company’s previous ambitions.
While never formally announced, Apple‘s foray into the automotive realm has been the subject of fervent speculation. Industry onlookers watched closely as Apple poached talent from high-profile car brands, including Lamborghini and Tesla, and absorbed Drive.ai, an autonomous vehicle firm, in 2019.
Despite requests, Apple elected not to comment on discontinuing the project. The announcement blindsided the hundreds of team members committed to the project—and reports suggest job cuts are forthcoming.
Since its inception in 2014, Apple‘s automotive aspirations have been fluid, fraught with challenges that hampered its progression. In 2016, a reorganization led to layoffs within the team, followed by the departure of a key figure to Ford in 2021.
Bloomberg News earlier disclosed that any prospective launch had been pushed to at least 2028, deviating from initial grandiose visions of a wholly self-driving vehicle to a car akin to Tesla’s semi-autonomous models. This change in scope notably contrasts Apple‘s original consideration for a driverless car with no steering wheel and a limousine-style interior.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk reacted to the news with a symbolic tweet featuring salute and cigarette emojis.
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