- According to Bloomberg, Apple plans to downsize a team called the Special Projects Group that works on electric vehicles.
According to Bloomberg, Apple plans to downsize a team called the Special Projects Group that works on electric vehicles.
The news suggests that Apple will halt its secret efforts to develop a car to rival Tesla. The program employed thousands of people, but it didn’t fit Apple’s core businesses of electronics or online services in any way, raising questions about what companies Apple would use to make its cars. occured.
Reports about Apple’s car manufacturing ambitions first surfaced in 2014 after the company hired automotive engineers and other talent from car companies. Although little has been announced publicly about the company’s plans, Apple has been running a program in which Apple-owned self-driving cars equipped with sensors and piloted by safety drivers drive around the San Francisco Bay Area.
The division has undergone several reorganizations over the years, including layoffs in 2019 when employees were transferred to other parts of the company. According to Bloomberg, some employees from Apple’s automotive division may be transferred to the generative AI team.
The company has other automotive projects, including the infotainment-oriented CarPlay software.
Apple shares rose about 1% on the news. Apple declined to comment.
