Apple is rethinking what it plans to do about self-driving cars, reports The New York Times. Citing sources familiar with the project, the outlet said on Friday that the company has shuttered parts of its self-driving car project and laid off dozens of employees.
These moves are the latest signs of trouble involving Apple’s oft-rumored initiative, codenamed Project Titan. In July it was reported that the team, under new leader Bob Mansfield, had shifted its focus from building a vehicle to an autonomous driving system.
Apple is rethinking what it plans to do about self-driving cars, just as other big tech companies appear ready to plow ahead with competing efforts. In a retrenchment of one of its most ambitious initiatives, Apple has shuttered parts of its self-driving car project and laid off dozens of employees, according to three people briefed on the move who were not allowed to speak about it publicly.
Apple started building its electric car about two years ago, pulling engineers from its own divisions and recruiting battery and automotive experts from across industries. The team, which features over 1,000 employees, is believed to have spent billions in R&D.
And it has made some progress in the space. The Times says the company has a number of fully autonomous vehicles in the middle of testing, running limited routes in closed environments. But its sources believe that the tech is still years away from mainstream.
Source: The New York Times