Apple Officially Cancels Autonomous Vehicle Testing Permit Amid Tesla Cybercab Launch

Apple Car illustration which was originally canceled by Apple. (photo: x @FanTechno_com)

JAKARTA - Apple has officially contacted California's DMV to cancel its autonomous vehicle program testing permit, which takes effect from 27 September. The permit is actually still valid until April 30, 2025 if Apple doesn't ask for it to be canceled.

The cancellation of this permit comes about eight months after Apple internally canceled the Apple Car project. This is one big sign that the project was completely discontinued, given that this permit is directly related to Apple's autonomous vehicle development. The company has also filed a mandatory public WARN notification when it comes to large layoffs.

Apple filed for the cancellation of the permit on September 25, and the permit was officially canceled on September 27, just weeks before Tesla introduced Cybercab, a fully autonomous vehicle without a steering wheel or pedal.

Apple Car Plan

Previously, Apple was widely expected to develop an autonomous electric vehicle, known as the Project Titan code. Initially, Apple planned to ship a vehicle without a steering wheel or pedal, although this ambition was later reduced before the project was officially canceled earlier this year. The vehicle is expected to sell for more than US$100,000 (Rp1.56 billion) and launch in 2028.

A few days ago, Tesla launched a fully autonomous vehicle, called Cybercab (or Robotaxi). While this vehicle is not expected to be delivered until "before 2027", its design provides an overview of the future of autonomous driving. However, many doubt Tesla's ability to quickly sell this vehicle due to various regulatory barriers.

Many hope that Apple will continue its car project, as it will become an interesting new product category, more than the Apple Vision Pro. However, the project faces many challenges, including how Apple will assemble, manufacture, and serve the vehicle. Many questions are still unanswered regarding Apple Car.