• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechBest Companies

Apple is Now Licensed to Test Self-Driving Cars in California

By
Leena Rao
Leena Rao
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Leena Rao
Leena Rao
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 14, 2017, 2:13 PM ET
Photograph by Getty Images

Apple has received a permit to test autonomous vehicles in California, according to the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles, marking the clearest sign yet that the secretive company is developing self-driving car technology.

The permit, which was first spotted by Business Insider, adds Apple’s name to a list of 30 other companies approved to test self-driving cars in California includingGoogle, Ford, and General Motors. Companies are required to get a permit before testing autonomous vehicles on the state’s public roads.

The permit is significant because it all but confirms Apple’s work on self-driving technology, although the focus of that push is unclear. Apple executives have never spoken at length about the company’s effort in the space, but a number of leaks provide a glimpse at what the company is up to.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Apple has been hiring automotive design and software experts for the effort, reportedly called Project Titan internally. In early 2016, CEO Tim Cook fielded a question at the company’s annual shareholder meeting about developing a car, to which he provided a cryptic response that neither confirmed nor denied the project.

“Do you remember when you were a kid, and Christmas Eve, it was so exciting, you weren’t sure what was going to be downstairs?,” he said. “Well, it’s going to be Christmas Eve for a while.”

For more on self-driving cars, watch,

Apple hinted at its self-driving car ambitions in November, when the technology giant sent a letter to U.S. regulators asking for clearer policies around self-driving car safety. At the same time, Apple is said to have had problems with whatever it is developing based on a report in September that said it had laid off dozens of employees at its self-driving car project, and shuttered parts of it.

About the Author
By Leena Rao
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Big TechSpotify
Spotify users lamented Wrapped in 2024. This year, the company brought back an old favorite and made it less about AI
By Dave Lozo and Morning BrewDecember 4, 2025
51 minutes ago
InnovationVenture Capital
This Khosla Ventures–backed startup is using AI to personalize cancer care
By Allie GarfinkleDecember 4, 2025
5 hours ago
AIEye on AI
Companies are increasingly falling victim to AI impersonation scams. This startup just raised $28M to stop deepfakes in real time
By Sharon GoldmanDecember 4, 2025
5 hours ago
Jensen Huang
SuccessBillionaires
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang admits he works 7 days a week, including holidays, in a constant ‘state of anxiety’ out of fear of going bankrupt
By Jessica CoacciDecember 4, 2025
6 hours ago
Ted Pick
BankingData centers
Morgan Stanley considers offloading some of its data-center exposure
By Esteban Duarte, Paula Seligson, Davide Scigliuzzo and BloombergDecember 4, 2025
6 hours ago
Zuckerberg
EnergyMeta
Meta’s Zuckerberg plans deep cuts for Metaverse efforts
By Kurt Wagner and BloombergDecember 4, 2025
6 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Two months into the new fiscal year and the U.S. government is already spending more than $10 billion a week servicing national debt
By Eleanor PringleDecember 4, 2025
11 hours ago
placeholder alt text
North America
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos commit $102.5 million to organizations combating homelessness across the U.S.: ‘This is just the beginning’
By Sydney LakeDecember 2, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
‘Godfather of AI’ says Bill Gates and Elon Musk are right about the future of work—but he predicts mass unemployment is on its way
By Preston ForeDecember 4, 2025
6 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Ford workers told their CEO 'none of the young people want to work here.' So Jim Farley took a page out of the founder's playbook
By Sasha RogelbergNovember 28, 2025
6 days ago
placeholder alt text
North America
Anonymous $50 million donation helps cover the next 50 years of tuition for medical lab science students at University of Washington
By The Associated PressDecember 2, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
AI
IBM CEO warns there’s ‘no way’ hyperscalers like Google and Amazon will be able to turn a profit at the rate of their data center spending
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezDecember 3, 2025
1 day ago
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.