Apple CEO Tim Cook waves a checkered flag to the race winner at the Formula One United States Grand Prix Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 23, 2022.
Mike Segar | Reuters
Apple will wind down its team working on electric cars, called Special Projects Group, according to Bloomberg .
The news signals that Apple will cease its secretive effort to build a car to rival Tesla . The program employed thousands of employees but never fit with Apple’s core business of electronics and online services, and raised questions about what companies Apple would tap to manufacture a car.
Reports of Apple’s ambition to build a car first surfaced in 2014 after the company recruited automotive engineers and other talent from car companies. There were few public indications of the company’s plans, but Apple operated a program where autonomous Apple-owned cars equipped with sensors and piloted by safety drivers drove around the San Francisco Bay Area.
The department had several reorganizations over the years, including layoffs in 2019 , when employees were moved to different parts of the company. Some Apple employees in the company’s car division may move to a generative artificial intelligence team, according to Bloomberg.
The company has other automotive-related projects, including its infotainment-oriented CarPlay software .
Apple shares rose about 1% on the news. Apple declined to comment.
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