• 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
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

InnovationThe Boring Company
Exclusive: Elon Musk’s Boring Co. is studying a tunnel project to Tesla Gigafactory near Reno
By Jessica MathewsJanuary 16, 2026
10 hours ago
AIOpenAI
ChatGPT tests ads as a new era of AI begins
By Sharon GoldmanJanuary 16, 2026
12 hours ago
AITech
Trump says he’ll make tech firms pay for power. They’d love to
By Michelle Ma, Alicia Tang and BloombergJanuary 16, 2026
13 hours ago
Close cropped images of Sam Altman alongside an actor playing him.
AIFilm Industry
A filmmaker deepfaked Sam Altman for his movie about AI. Then things got personal
By Beatrice NolanJanuary 16, 2026
16 hours ago
C-SuiteFortune 500 Power Moves
Fortune 500 Power Moves: Which executives gained and lost power this week
By Fortune EditorsJanuary 16, 2026
19 hours ago
SuccessCareer Advice
Jensen Huang tells Stanford students their high expectations may make it hard for them to succeed: ‘I wish upon you ample doses of pain and suffering’
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJanuary 16, 2026
19 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
America’s $38 trillion national debt is so big the nearly $1 trillion interest payment will be larger than Medicare soon
By Shawn TullyJanuary 15, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Europe
Americans have been quietly plundering Greenland for over 100 years, since a Navy officer chipped fragments off the Cape York iron meteorite
By Paul Bierman and The ConversationJanuary 14, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Health
The head of marketing at Slate posted on LinkedIn requesting cleaning services as a benefit at her company. The next day, HR answered her call
By Sydney LakeJanuary 15, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Anthony Scaramucci thinks Trump's 'hard-left' move to cap credit-card fees is because he's 'texting back and forth with Mayor Mamdani'
By Nick Lichtenberg and Eva RoytburgJanuary 16, 2026
17 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Ford CEO Jim Farley says the White House will 'always answer the phone,' but needs Trump to do more to curtail China’s threat to America's autos
By Sasha RogelbergJanuary 16, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
The Nobel Prize committee doesn't want Trump getting one, even as a gift—but they treated Obama very differently
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 16, 2026
13 hours ago

© 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.