Apple Cancels Work on Electric Car, Ending Decade long Effort
The most recent approach discussed internally was delaying a car release until 2028 and reducing self-driving specifications from Level 4 to Level 2+ technology.
Many employees on the car team — known as the Special Projects Group, or SPG — will be shifted to the artificial intelligence division
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-27/apple-cancels-work-on-electric-car-shifts-team-to-generative-ai
Apple to Wind Down Electric Car Effort After Decadelong Odyssey
Apple Inc. is canceling a decadelong effort to build an electric car, according to people with knowledge of the matter, abandoning one of the most ambitious projects in the history of the company.
It's a classic case of Christensen's "The Innovator's Dilemma". Also, it's REALLY HARD to make a breakout automobile. (Tesla almost did, but screwed the pooch with bad quality control, poor ergonomics, and toxic company culture.) And even if you do, Ford/GM/Toyota/VW will catch up within a decade and eat your lunch. It's why most auto startups seem to be hypercars with a 7-digit price tag—there's a ridiculous profit margin—but production volume is too tiny for Apple to touch.
@cstross I can't say I'm surprised. All the Apple Car rumors made me wonder "where's the value for Apple here and why should they bother?" and I could never figure out an answer that seemed worth the hassle.
Apparently that's true of people inside Apple too.
@wordshaper They *did* have a break out in the watch industry, of all places (Apple Watch went from zero to the world's bestselling luxury watch brand in 12 months flat, knocking Rolex off the top spot) ... but the Watch is a "hobby" project in Apple product terms: I'm still not sure why they went there.
Charlie Stross
Dan Sugalski