Car manufacturers recognize the importance of developing electric cars, especially since it's becoming more apparent that they will become the future of transportation. Apple has had plans to enter this market as it has been developing its own EV, although reports say that the tech giant is abandoning the project.
Apple is Abandoning Project Titan
If you have been keeping a close eye on rumors about Apple's planned electric car, then you're aware that it has been a decade since the so-called Project Titan has been in development. There have been several leaks associated with the plans along the way.
Unfortunately, the development of the supposed self-driving car has been scrapped, so we might not see an Apple Car after all. Sources say that the iPhone maker decided to go in a different direction out of fear of the EV not being profitable, as per Ars Technica.
Even before the rumored scrapping of the project, Apple's EV plans have already seen several issues, resulting in delays and changes in plans. The rumored capabilities of the vehicle were set at a very high standard and were slowly downgraded as time passed.
For instance, Project Titan was supposedly adding four levels of self-driving capabilities, and it has since been reduced to just two levels. It was also said to have a $100,000 price tag, given that it will provide luxury and a futuristic interior and exterior design.
The decision to abandon the project was "finalized by Apple's most senior executives in recent weeks," meaning that the initially rumored release for 2028 will no longer be happening. Instead, Apple will be focusing on other endeavors that are more realistically profitable.
With the AI boom, the company is reportedly turning its attention to generative AI. Apple executives have already informed employees about the shift, some of whom will be transferred to work under AI Lead John Giannandrea.
Unfortunately, not every worker who worked on Project Titan will be reassigned to other developments. Automobile engineering, for instance, will have no place in the generative AI field or other projects that Apple might be working on.
Read Also : Apple Plans to Launch AI Tool to Help Code Apps
Moving On to More Profitable Aspects
It's natural for a company to stop operations when it doesn't see a profitable future for certain products. The Apple electric car was meant to be a luxurious self-driving vehicle, and with all the issues around automated cars, Apple may have seen the project to be problematic.
With more resources and manpower behind generative AI, Apple may catch up with the already established competitors in the market. It has proven that being late in the hype is not always a bad thing, as shown with the release of the Apple Vision Pro.
Even with the $3,500 price tag, the AR/VR headset meant for "spatial computing" was a relative success, even though some people returned the device after complaining about neck strains and headaches. While there's room for improvement, Apple will surely develop a better version of the Vision Pro.
