According to Bloomberg, Apple gave its automotive team until the end of 2017 to prove an autonomous vehicle system is viable. What happens to the program after that date depends on that proof.
The report says building Apple’s own car is not the near-term goal, though later options could include making a vehicle or partnering with existing automakers.
The pivot since August has meant job changes, exits, and voluntary departures for hundreds of people, including about 120 software engineers.
Work has not stopped
Remaining auto-team members are still building autonomous software, vision sensors, and simulations to test the platform in real-world conditions. Apple is hiring toward the new goal and keeping headcount roughly steady.
Project Titan, Apple’s autonomous vehicle effort, spent months fighting delays and internal disagreements.
New leadership, new aim
Reports say Steve Zadesky, who led Apple Car, left early in the year and hardware engineering chief Dan Riccio took over, before longtime Apple executive Bob Mansfield assumed the role in April and changed direction.
About a month later, Mansfield told hundreds of Titan staff in Silicon Valley that after reviewing the project, Apple should focus on an autonomous driving platform rather than a car meant to rival Tesla directly.
An Apple-designed vehicle for 2020 looks paused for now, though R&D plans can shift. Tesla CEO Elon Musk still doubts Apple can ship its own car by 2020 and calls that a missed opportunity.
