As you may already be aware, Apple has formally terminated its endeavor to develop an electric vehicle. Although the endeavor remained unrealized and even Apple declined to corroborate it, the corporation had been developing its own automobile since 2014. Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reports that, in addition to pursuing a partnership with Tesla, Apple has also reached out to Mercedes-Benz regarding the development of an Apple Car.
Apple tried to build an Apple Car with Mercedes-Benz
As reported by Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple attempted to negotiate a partnership with Mercedes-Benz for the production of an Apple Car. The report states that for several months, discussions “progressed further” and the two companies were actively collaborating on an electric vehicle initiative. Mercedes, despite producing the Apple Car, also intended to market its own vehicles equipped with Apple’s autonomous driving technology.
In the end, Apple terminated the partnership because its executives were self-assured in their ability to independently develop an automobile subsequent to their initial collaboration with Mercedes. Reportedly, the company and Ford also deliberated on the potentiality of the automaker offering an Apple Car under its Lincoln brand; however, the discussions “lacked further development beyond an initial meeting.”
Elon Musk and Apple previously discussed the possibility of Apple acquiring Tesla to manufacture its automobile. However, early negotiations reportedly saw Apple CEO Tim Cook abandon the agreement. Musk and Apple executives reconvened at some point to deliberate on alternative avenues of collaboration, including the purchase of batteries from Tesla.
Interestingly, Bloomberg says that Apple reportedly came close to acquiring luxury automobile manufacturer McLaren. Jony Ive, who was still employed by the company at the time, would receive a new design facility in London to complete the project. Additionally, the agreement failed to materialize.
The conception of an Apple automobile originated with Steve Jobs
Although the Titan project (the codename for the Apple Car) did not materialize until 2014, Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, conceived of the concept years earlier. “As American automakers were on the verge of insolvency following the 2008 financial crisis, the Apple CEO even considered acquiring General Motors Co. for pennies on the dollar,” according to the report.
Tony Fadell, widely regarded as the progenitor of the iPod, verified that he and Steve Jobs discussed “the Volkswagen Beetle of the next generation.” However, as the company concentrated on ensuring the success of the iPhone, Jobs determined it was not yet time to initiate a car initiative.
An ambitious undertaking
The Titan undertaking was considerably ambitious under Cook’s leadership. A white minivan with “rounded sides, an all-glass roof, sliding doors, and whitewall tires” was the appearance of one of the prototypes. A large screen, a robust audio system, and reclining seating that resembled a nightclub would be included in the vehicle.
Originally, the Apple Car was engineered to feature a Level 5 autonomous driving system, which would have enabled it to navigate solely through its onboard computer and without the need for a steering wheel or pedals. An iPhone application or video game-style controller would be the only manual controls available as a fallback.
Doug Field, the project’s leader, cautioned executives regarding the difficulties associated with developing an autonomous vehicle and proposed reducing the objectives to Level 3, which in certain circumstances necessitates the presence of a human driver. Nonetheless, Apple executives desired a Level 5 vehicle.
Difficulties with the automobile endeavor
By 2016, the project had made minimal advancements, prompting the board of directors to raise concerns regarding the Apple Car’s feasibility. Dan Riccio subsequently persuaded Bob Mansfield, an Apple hardware team veteran, to join the automobile team. Mansfield devoted his efforts to developing the autonomous driving system as opposed to the vehicle itself.
Some executives believed that Apple could provide other automakers with licenses for its technologies. Volkswagen and Apple reached an agreement for Mansfield and Cook to collaborate on the development of a self-driving shuttle for use by Apple employees on campus. The initiative, however, was deemed a diversion and was subsequently terminated.
Many Apple executives have reportedly been irritated by Cook’s indecision regarding the Titan project’s trajectory, according to the report. In the interim, engineers who had been recruited to work on the automobile were departing Apple for other organizations, as the project was nowhere near completion. By 2018, Apple had already terminated the employment of 120 individuals associated with the automobile initiative.
According to sources cited by Bloomberg, Apple has estimated that the production cost of its vehicle will be approximately $120,000, which is significantly higher than the target price of $85,000.
The end of the Apple Car
Since then, Apple has replaced the Titan project’s leadership numerous times, but none of those transitions have produced anything promising. Apple once deployed, for trial purposes, a fleet of Lexus SUVs equipped with its own autonomous driving technology. By 2024, it was intended that these experiments would be conducted in additional cities. The business intended to offer autonomous transportation as a subscription service.
Prior to abandoning the endeavor permanently, the designers and engineers attempted to develop a Level 2 autonomous vehicle akin to the Tesla Autopilot last year. However, that would render the Apple Car aesthetically identical to every other electric vehicle currently on the market, with minimal distinction.
Kevin Lynch reportedly persuaded Apple’s upper management that the development of a completely autonomous vehicle would require a minimum of an additional ten years. Cook had already contemplated the project’s termination earlier this year, given that key executives and engineers were already relocating to other organizations.
Approximately 2,000 Apple employees were notified via email on February 26th of a scheduled meeting for the day after. Then, Lynch and Williams both confirmed without further explanation that the Titan project was being terminated. A relocation of certain engineers has occurred to the AI and software division of Apple.
Annually, the failed automobile endeavor cost Apple approximately $1 billion.
