Starting in 2014, Apple began working on "Project Titan," with upwards of 1,000 employees working on developing an electric vehicle at a secret location near its Cupertino headquarters. Internal strife, leadership issues, and other problems impacted the car project, with rumors suggesting Apple in 2016 shelved plans for a car for foreseeable future.
Apple reportedly laid off hundreds of employees who were working on the project, and under the leadership of Bob Mansfield, Apple is said to have transitioned to building an autonomous driving system rather than a full car, which could potentially be used in the cars of various partner companies.
Though multiple rumors have suggested Apple has shifted its focus to autonomous driving software rather than a full-on car, the August 2018 rehiring of Tesla engineer Doug Fields has led to speculation that Apple may again be exploring a car option.
Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also believes that Apple is still working on an Apple Car that will launch between 2023 and 2025. Kuo believes the car will be Apple's "next star product" with Apple able to offer "better integration of hardware, software and services" than potential competitors in the automotive market.
In June of 2017, Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke publicly about Apple's work on autonomous driving software, confirming the company's work in a rare candid moment. Apple doesn't often share details on what it's working on, but when it comes to the car software, it's harder to keep quiet because of regulations.
"We're focusing on autonomous systems. It's a core technology that we view as very important. We sort of see it as the mother of all AI projects. It's probably one of the most difficult AI projects actually to work on." --Apple CEO Tim Cook on Apple's plans in the car space.
In early 2017, Apple has been granted a permit from the California DMV to test self-driving vehicles on public roads, and is testing its self-driving car software platform in several 2015 Lexus RX450h SUVs leased from Hertz. The SUVs have been spotted out on the road with a host of sensors and cameras starting in April.
Apple has several of the Lexus SUVs outfitted with a range of different sensors running its self-driving software. New LIDAR equipment was spotted in August of 2017, and Apple has been significantly ramping up its fleet in 2018. As of May 2018, Apple has 62 vehicles out on the road using its autonomous driving software.
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