We’ve seen reports of Apple cancelling Project Titan, the brand’s name for its own self-driving car project from earlier in the year. While we were never meant to get an official confirmation from the company directly, the next best thing may have happened as recently as late last month. A new report has indicated that the bitten fruit brand cancelled its testing permit for autonomous vehicles, which it submitted to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
This comes from MacReports, noting that the cancellation was requested by Apple on 25 September, and granted on 27 of the same month. Without the cancellation, the Autonomous Vehicles Program Manufacturer’s Testing Permit (AVT030) would have lasted until 30 April 2025.
While it’s interesting to note that the cancellation happened just two weeks shy of Tesla’s unveiling of its Cybercab, it probably was merely a coincidence. Apple shelved Project Titan all the way back in February, with staffers for it already being moved elsewhere within the company, if not removed from the company payroll. This is just an external sign, or a confirmation if you prefer, of the last nail being slammed into the coffin.
All that being said though, it is interesting to note the similarities between what Tesla announced and the concept behind Apple’s Project Titan. To start, the Cybercab is announced to not have paddles and a steering wheel, and the Robovan takes it a step further with inwards-facing seats.
(Source: MacReports)
