It’s been in development for a decade, but employees of Apple’s car program say it was doomed from the start.
Apple’s recent decision to end its electric vehicle program, codenamed “Project Titan,” surprised many, but insiders suggest it was inevitable. Apple has had a limited interest in the car since the beginning of the project, company officials said.
Back in 2014, the technology industry was excited about electric cars and self-driving mobility, and Apple’s senior engineers, who had just finished developing the company’s smartwatch, needed something new. Thus “iCar” was born.
Read: Apple iCar ends after 10 years of development
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But Apple CEO Tim Cook agreed to launch Project Titan not out of any special interest in the automotive sector, but to prevent engineers from leaving for Tesla, The New York Times reported. There is. Despite promises that money would be made, management apathy led to multiple leadership changes, inconsistent goals and changes in focus, and those working on the project perceived it as ” It came to be known as the “Titanic Disaster.”
Musk was in talks with Apple.
The project faced challenges from the beginning, with team members recognizing that the vehicle would cost at least $100,000, resulting in low profit margins and something Apple wasn’t used to. Moreover, they understood that they would be left behind in Tesla’s footsteps. In fact, Apple reportedly held discussions with Musk about acquiring the startup, but ultimately decided to manufacture its own cars.
Initially, project leader Steve Zadesky wanted to create a relatively ordinary, if technologically advanced, electric car that could compete with Tesla. Meanwhile, Jony Ive, Apple’s chief design officer, wanted to create a complete car without a steering wheel, similar to Waymo.
Design inspired by the 1950s Fiat Multipla 600
I ended up writing a design similar to the Fiat Multipla 600 that could be controlled by Siri. In 2015, Ive presented Cook with his vision for the project using a stationary demonstrator model. The two got into the mock-up while a screen showed them driving around town. When I passed a restaurant, I asked Siri, “What is that?” and the voice actor read out the answer.
After just a year, Zadesky left the project and his successor shifted his focus to developing autonomous software. Then Tesla’s Doug Field took over leadership, laid off 200 employees and doubled down on autonomy. By 2021, Kevin Lynch, known for developing the Apple Watch, took over and shifted his focus back to electric vehicle development.
By the time the project was canceled this week, even the employees working on it felt it was the right decision. Employees who spoke to The New York Times on condition of anonymity said Apple’s choice to focus on AI will become even more important to the company’s future.
However, Project Titan was not a complete failure. Some of the technologies developed to do so will survive. For example, the advances the team has made in AI and automation will be applied to other technologies, including his AirPods with cameras, robotic assistants, and augmented reality.
