Just six months after reports suggested that Apple had abandoned its electric vehicle plans, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has canceled the company’s permit for testing autonomous vehicles.
This decision came on September 25, when Apple confirmed to the DMV its request to cancel the Autonomous Vehicles Program Manufacturer’s Testing Permit (AVT030), effective September 27, 2024.
Apple received this permit in 2017, allowing it to test self-driving vehicles on public roads with a safety driver present.
The company had been using leased Lexus SUVs outfitted with sensors and cameras for testing various autonomous driving technologies.
The cancellation follows a series of challenges faced by Apple’s Project Titan, which aimed to create a fully autonomous vehicle.
Initially targeting a Level 5 self-driving car, Apple later scaled down its ambitions to a Level 2+ design, similar to existing driver assistance systems.
Frustrations from Apple’s Board of Directors led to the project’s cancellation, leaving nearly 2,000 employees surprised and disappointed.
While the project appears to be halted for now, the technology developed during this time could still be repurposed for future initiatives.
