According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has called off its plans to build an electric car after trying to develop one for over 10 years. The Apple Car was considered the dream project of Steve Jobs and was often cited as the next big move from the company after computers and smartphones.
The latest report from Bloomberg reveals that Apple has abandoned its multi-billion dollar electric car project and will now divert its focus to artificial intelligence.
According to the report, Apple has internally notified over 2000 employees working on the project about the company’s decision to wind up car development. The tech giant will shuffle its staff to other divisions related to generative AI, which is currently a top priority for Apple, adds the report.
The Apple Car project, codenamed Titan, also had several top-level engineers and designers from Lamborghini, BMW, Aston Martin, Porsche, and other car makers. Although these are automobile-specialized staff, Apple is more likely to offer them similar R&D roles for its upcoming consumer tech products. The company has spent over $116 billion on research over the last five years.
Apple Car: Self-driving and Remote Control Access
Apple has remained silent in typical fashion over the development of its electric car, just like how they do with their computer-related products. However, several reports from classified emails and industry experts have hinted at the possible features of the car, which has been under development for over a decade.
Apple was planning to release a Level 4 autonomous driving car, where the driver is not required to pay active attention on the road. However, due to certain undisclosed complications, the autonomous capability was lowered to Level 2+, limited to features like cruise control, lane assist, and ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System).
Some reports indicate that Apple was working on a remote command centre which could control the Apple Cars running on the streets. However, no further details are available on this concept.
Apple’s All-or-Nothing Ideology May Have Cancelled The Car Project
Apple has a policy of having the highest standards possible with its new product launches, and the company is not shying away until they achieve perfection. One of the best examples is the absence of a calculator app on iPads, as Apple says they will release one only when they develop the best calculator UI for tablets.
Developing a new car from scratch is a massive engineering challenge as it involves all the laws of physics that exist in nature. From designing an aerodynamic body to creating an energy-efficient electric motor, the efforts required in making a car are fourfold ahead of what it takes to manufacture a laptop or a smartphone.
On top of this, when we consider the Apple Experience factor, the company would go the extra mile to make its car stand out from the competition. Despite Apple’s war chest of trillion-dollar resources, it looks like making the perfect car was just too much for them to handle.
The Slowdown of the EV Industry
We can’t blame Apple for this decision, as the electric car industry is struggling with its own challenges. Apart from Tesla, every other car manufacturer like Ford, Toyota, Rivian, and many others has been unable to grow their EV business as expected.
The high upfront cost of an EV, lack of proper charging infrastructure, lower range, and many such factors have resulted in a slow adoption of electric cars compared to gasoline vehicles.
Toyota and Honda have also revised their focus on hybrid and hydrogen fuel-cell cars instead of going all-in with EVs. The current situation of the EV market and the booming scenes of generative AI meant that it made more sense for Apple to shut down its electric car project.
Remember that Apple has never officially acknowledged the development of a car. Hence, the company is less likely to disclose the real internal situation. Whether Apple resumes its car project or not, it has enough hidden prototypes in its lab, which will keep surprising us for years.
