Apple’s self-driving car project may be coming to an end.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles has canceled the company’s permit for self-driving vehicles. The move comes at Apple’s request, and could indicate that its years-long effort to create a self-driving car may be in doubt.
Apple had a permit for testing autonomous vehicles on roads with a safety driver until April 30, 2025. Per MacReports, Apple contacted the DMV to cancel its Autonomous Vehicles Program Manufacturer’s Testing Permit.
The DMV then contacted Apple by letter on September 25, confirming Apple’s request to cancel the permit, and that it would end by September 27, 2024.
Without the permit, Apple is unable to conduct self-driving vehicle tests on public roads.
Apple had first received its permit in 2017, with it expanding the fleet and team of drivers over time. While it had previously employed over 200 drivers for the project, as of May 2024, it had 68 registered vehicles and just 15 registered drivers.
Back in February, a report indicated that Apple’s employees considered Apple’s Project Titan project was a “Titanic disaster” and a failure. Another report in March said that the challenge of a full self-driving vehicle system was insurmountable, even for Apple.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via AppleInsider and MacReports