Apple has formally asked the California Department of Motor Vehicles to cancel their manufacturer testing permit for the autonomous vehicle program effective September 27. Their permit would have been valid until April 30, 2025, had they not requested the cancellation (via macReports).
Permit Cancellation
This news comes about 8 months after Apple officially canceled its Apple Car project internally. This is probably one of the biggest outward signs that the project is being canceled, given the fact that the permit is directly related to the project. There have also been public WARN notices filed, which a company is required to do when they are about to lay off more than a few employees.
Apple requested a revocation of its permit on September 25, and the permit was officially revoked on September 27, just weeks before Tesla unveiled its vision for a fully autonomous car with no steering wheel or pedals.
Apple Car Plans
Apple was previously expected to develop a self-driving electric vehicle known internally as Project Titan. The company initially intended to release a car without a steering wheel or pedals, though the company slowed down in the years that followed, before officially canceling it earlier this year. The car is expected to cost over $100,000, with deliveries starting in 2028.
Tesla Cybercab
Just a few days ago, Tesla unveiled its own fully autonomous car called the Cybercab (or sometimes Robotaxi). While it won't go on sale until “earlier than 2027,” it's a glimpse into the future of autonomous driving. Personally, I doubt Tesla will be able to sell these cars to consumers quickly given the regulatory hurdles, but the design of the car is captivating.
Wrapping Up
I'd really like to see Apple eventually release their own car, as it would be a much more interesting new product category than the Apple Vision Pro in my opinion, but that would be a challenge either way. How will Apple service the cars? How will they even be made? There were a lot of unanswered questions about the Apple Car.
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