Apple’s Secretive Car Project, Code-Named Titan, Ends in Failure After Burning $10 Billion
For the past decade, Apple employees working on the company’s secretive car project, internally known as Titan, had a less than optimistic view of its potential success. Referred to as the “Titanic disaster,” the project faced numerous setbacks and changes in direction, ultimately leading to its demise.
Initially envisioned as an electric vehicle to compete against Tesla, the project evolved into a self-driving car to rival Google’s Waymo. However, after multiple reboots and leadership changes, the project was ultimately scrapped on Tuesday, with executives announcing internally that it was being killed.
The project’s failure highlights Apple’s struggles to develop new products since the death of Steve Jobs in 2011. With over $10 billion spent on the project, the company faced challenges in developing the software and algorithms necessary for a car with autonomous driving features.
Despite efforts to pivot and refocus the project, including discussions with Elon Musk about acquiring Tesla, Apple ultimately decided to shut down the car project and reassign team members to work on artificial intelligence.
While the project may have ended in failure, Apple plans to leverage the technologies developed for the car project in other areas, such as A.I.-powered AirPods, robot assistants, and augmented reality.
The demise of Apple’s car project serves as a cautionary tale of the challenges faced by even the most innovative companies in developing new technologies.
