Report: Apple again reshuffles car project


The New York Times:

In a retrenchment of one of its most ambitious initiatives, Apple has shuttered parts of its self-driving car project and laid off dozens of employees, according to three people briefed on the move who were not allowed to speak about it publicly.

The job cuts are the latest sign of trouble with Apple's car initiative. The company has added resources to the project -- code-named Titan -- over the last two years, but it has struggled to make progress. And in July, the company brought in Bob Mansfield, a highly regarded Apple veteran, to take over the effort.

There seems to be a gold rush going on with a new generation of electronic and at least computer-assisted if not fully automated vehicles. Automakers such as Ford, GM, and Fiat-Chrysler have been pushed by tech companies like Apple, Google, Uber and Tesla among others. Apple is a late entrant with its widely rumored, but unannounced project. Apple has been investing aggressively while the industry seems to be quickly racing to bring new products to market.

Reportedly now Apple has shifted from manufacturing its own cars to designing the underlying software.