Apple shifts focus from Tesla rival to GenAI and other projects, halts work on competing vehicle.
Apple has been working on its own electric car division for more than 10 years, but it seems that the company has decided to end this dream and focus on other things. Apple has reportedly invested billions in the project codenamed Titan, but now wants to use its energy and resources to build Generative AI applications.
Some of the people hired specifically for the car project will probably be fired, while some may merge with other groups that are actively working on new products and services in the company.
According to a Bloomberg report, Apple announced this big decision in front of 2,000 employees who have been part of the car project, some of whom are now focused on building next-generation artificial intelligence and other projects at the company. Technically, Apple has never shared details or even confirmed its plans to make a car or that it is working on one. But we’ll probably get some clarity on the news later this year when Tim Cook and Co. strive to build core products that continue to fill Apple’s coffers.
And there the car project could first take a back seat and then finally make them understand the challenge of not only selling a car but also taking care of the problems that car owners face and expect brands to help them manage.
According to reports, Apple wanted to bring in its Tesla rival for around $100,000, which would have been equivalent to the Tesla Model X. If an upstart brand had sold a car at that price, it would have been challenging for consumers to trust Apple. to do with the iPhone and Mac because that’s been its bread and butter for decades.
Not only does Apple face an uphill battle with Tesla, but other traditional automakers have now invested in electric vehicles, making the task even more difficult. It was never going to be easy for Apple to make an affordable self-driving car, and the new developments in the project suggest that the company finally realized that the investment was not worth it even in the long run.
That being said, it would make sense for Apple to invest in the car’s software, which could be of interest to automakers who struggle with this and have a new version of CarPlay that can actually be part of the vehicle ecosystem.