Apple Inc. has decided to discontinue its decade-long endeavor to develop an electric car, as reported by sources familiar with the situation, marking the end of one of the company’s most ambitious projects.
Apple revealed the news to its employees on Tuesday, catching the nearly 2,000 project workers off guard, according to sources who preferred to remain anonymous since the announcement was not yet public.
According to sources, the decision was made by Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams and Kevin Lynch, a vice president overseeing the project.
According to the two executives, the project is set to start winding down, with numerous employees from the car team, also referred to as the Special Projects Group (SPG), being reassigned to the artificial intelligence division led by executive John Giannandrea.
Those workers will concentrate on generative AI projects, a growing focal point for the organization.
The team working on the Apple car includes numerous hardware engineers and car designers.
There is a chance that they may have the opportunity to apply for positions on different Apple teams.
The news comes as the auto industry as a whole begins to back off from the concept of electric cars, as consumers have shown little appetite for the controversial new technology.
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