apple company AAPL has ended its self-driving vehicle testing permit in California. The decision follows the company’s previous abandonment of an electric vehicle project.
what happened: According to macReports, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) acknowledged Apple’s request for revocation on September 25th, and the license officially ended on September 27th.
The move is in line with earlier reporting by Bloomberg’s Mark Garman that Apple is exiting the electric vehicle market after a decade of effort.
Apple’s permit, granted in 2017, allows it to test self-driving cars with safety drivers on public roads. The permit was originally scheduled to be valid until April 2025.
The company leased a Lexus SUV equipped with sensors and cameras to experiment with self-driving technology on California roads.
See also: How to use this iOS 18 feature to speed up calls on your iPhone
The cancellation marks a major shift in Apple’s strategy, effectively ending the chapter on its self-driving car ambitions.
The decision will be made a few days in advance tesla company TSLA unveiled its robotaxis, highlighting the competitive environment in self-driving vehicle development.
Why it’s important: Apple’s decision to end self-driving car testing in California is a major development in the technology and automotive industries. The project, known as ‘Titan’, was launched in 2014 with the ambition to revolutionize the automotive industry.
Despite investing $1 billion a year, the project faced a number of challenges, including indecision from leaders and technical hurdles, which ultimately led to its cancellation in February.
meanwhile, tesla company TSLA is advancing its self-driving car ambitions. The company recently announced a two-seater robotaxis called CyberCab.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has expressed confidence in deploying fully self-driving technology by 2025, although regulatory hurdles remain a major challenge.
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