Apple reportedly cancels electric car project “Project Titan”

Apple has reportedly canceled Project Titan, a long-running internal project aimed at developing an electric car.

bloomberg report The company announced today’s decision citing an internal memo. The Apple business unit responsible for Project Titan is believed to have had nearly 2,000 employees.

Many of the staff who worked on the project will reportedly be reassigned to teams developing generative artificial intelligence products.Rumors surfaced earlier this month Apple is said to be developing an AI-powered coding assistant similar to Microsoft Corp.’s GitHub Copilot. The tool will be available in his Xcode, a desktop application that developers use to create software for his iPhone maker’s operating system.

It is thought that Apple may also incorporate generative AI capabilities into some of its consumer services. The company is reportedly considering implementing the technology into the built-in search bar in iOS and MacOS. Keynote, Apple’s replacement for PowerPoint, may also include his AI capabilities.

In addition to machine learning experts, the business unit responsible for Project Titan is said to employ “hundreds” of hardware engineers and vehicle designers. It is thought that Apple may give these staff members the option to apply for other positions. As a result, some of the employees who worked on Project Titan are expected to leave the company.

Today’s report suggests that there were several factors behind the decision to cancel the project. First, Apple wanted to sell its planned electric car for about $100,000, but was concerned that the car wouldn’t match the profit margins of its existing products. . Additionally, the company’s board of directors is said to have expressed concerns about Project Titan’s budget, which runs into the hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

Another factor that led to the cancellation of this initiative is said to be the difficulty of developing self-driving software.

When rumors of Project Titan first surfaced in 2015, Apple wanted to develop a car with Level 5 autonomy, or the ability to operate independently in all driving conditions. The company has since significantly scaled back that goal. Just before scraping Project Titan, Apple shifted the focus of this effort from fully self-driving software to partially self-driving software.

Other market participants have also faced setbacks in their development efforts. Last year, General Motors’ cruise division lost my license Operate self-driving cars in California. Subsequent GM Paused Production of Origin, a fully autonomous van with no steering wheel or pedals. Apple was reportedly considering a similar design for its electric vehicles early in Project Titan.

It is unclear how much of the project’s core technical goals were achieved before the project was canceled. Today’s report details how Apple engineers have installed self-driving software into dozens of Lexus cars. The company also reportedly tested “more sensitive components” at the former Chrysler circuit in Phoenix.

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