• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechGlobal 500

Apple Might Not Be Building a Car After All

By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 17, 2016, 8:29 AM ET
Earth Day At Apple Store Carrousel du Louvre
PARIS, FRANCE - APRIL 22: A green leaf is displayed on the Apple logo during 'Earth Day' at the Apple Store, Carrousel du Louvre, on April 22, 2015 in Paris, France. (Photo by Kristy Sparow/Getty Images for Apple)Photograph by Kristy Sparow — Getty Images

Apple’s automotive plans have changed, and the iPhone maker is no longer planning to make its car, according to a new report.

Instead, Apple will focus on developing a self-driving car system that could be licensed to multiple car makers, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing anonymous sources. The shift followed the departure of Steve Zadesky, who was overseeing the effort known as Project Titan, in early 2016, the report added.

Apple declined to comment to Fortune about the report.

Multiple reports have suggested Apple has been secretly exploring entering the automotive market for at least several years and built up Project Titan with a staff of over 1,000 in a headquarters a few miles away from its main campus in Cupertino, Calif. But lately, the news from the car unit has been mixed with reports of layoffs, delays, and management turnover.

Many giants in the tech industry have been exploring making electric cars ever since Tesla demonstrated the appeal. Google and Uber, among others, have been publicly experimenting with self-driving and electric cars in various ways.

But the car industry is notoriously capital intensive and low margin, making it tough for the new players to break into the market. Tesla has still never turned a profit.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has obliquely acknowledged the car effort at various times. But he also has warned that not all of Apple’s initiatives result in products for consumers. “We edit very much,” Cook said in a February 2016 interview with Fortune. “We talk about a lot of things and do fewer. We debate many things and do a lot fewer.”

The car is not likely Apple’s only non-public project as of late. Cook has lately been hinting at augmented and virtual reality gear, for example. But the company could use a new, major hit as sales of the iPhone have tailed off, and Apple Watch has not taken off over the last year as some analysts had hoped.

About the Author
By Aaron Pressman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Success
Billionaire philanthropy's growing divide: Mark Zuckerberg stops funding immigration reform as MacKenzie Scott doubles down on DEI
By Ashley LutzDecember 22, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
By Sydney LakeDecember 22, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
The average worker would need to save for 52 years to claw their way out of the middle class and be classified as wealthy, new research reveals
By Orianna Rosa RoyleDecember 23, 2025
18 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
'When we got out of college, we had a job waiting for us': 80-year-old boomer says her generation left behind a different economy for her grandkids
By Mike Schneider and The Associated PressDecember 23, 2025
21 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Financial experts warn future winner of the $1.7 billion Powerball: Don't make these common money mistakes
By Ashley LutzDecember 23, 2025
16 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman says in 10 years' time college graduates will be working 'some completely new, exciting, super well-paid' job in space
By Preston ForeDecember 23, 2025
19 hours ago

Latest in Tech

NewslettersTerm Sheet
The AI startups founders and VCs say could be acquisition targets in 2026
By Allie GarfinkleDecember 24, 2025
3 minutes ago
Thierry Breton, former European Commissioner for the Internal Market, in Paris on June 13, 2025. (Photo: Thomas Samson/AFP/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
U.S. denies visas for five Europeans, alleging American censorship
By Andrew NuscaDecember 24, 2025
19 minutes ago
Man checking watch as he walks through forrest
Successchief executive officer (CEO)
CEOs reveal their New Year’s resolutions for 2026: From 8-day bike races and AI training, to finally cracking 7 hours of sleep a night
By Emma BurleighDecember 24, 2025
45 minutes ago
President Donald Trump walks to the South Portico along the South Lawn at the White House on December 13, 2025 in Washington, DC
EconomyWall Street
‘Precarious’ is Wall Street’s defining word for 2026
By Eleanor PringleDecember 24, 2025
2 hours ago
AI Artificial Intelligence on a laptop with a blue abstract background
BankingFinance
In 2026, CFOs predict AI transformation, not just efficiency gains
By Sheryl EstradaDecember 24, 2025
2 hours ago
AIEye on AI
Silicon Valley’s tone-deaf take on the AI backlash will matter in 2026
By Sharon GoldmanDecember 23, 2025
16 hours ago