Apple Is Scrapping Its Electric Car and Moving Employees to AI

Apple is pulling the plug on its electric vehicle. 

The decision ends a multibillion-dollar, decade-long project–and Apple’s auto industry ambitions, Bloomberg reported. Many of the 2,000 Apple staffers previously on the EV project will reportedly be shifted to the division working on artificial intelligence, specifically generative AI, which is led by John Giannandrea, Apple’s senior vice president of machine learning and AI strategy. Some staff may be invited to apply for other Apple positions and still others will be laid off, according to Bloomberg.

This decision marks the end of Project Titan. The effort, which Bloomberg noted was costing the company hundreds of millions of dollars per year, aimed to develop a fully autonomous EV with voice navigation. Some projections had estimated that the vehicle would be priced at $100,000.

Project Titan reportedly suffered from unsteady leadership and shifting strategy that hampered the effort early on.

The EV industry is under pressure, even in spite of a broader push toward clean energy. Sales growth has slowed, amid concerns about EV pricing and the availability and functionality of charging stations. Plus leaders like Tesla have slashed prices to remain competitive, putting pressure on the rest of the industry.