According to a New York Times investigation detailing the project’s development challenges, Apple spent more than $10 billion on the Apple Car over the previous decade. Apple initiated the project in 2014 and let it languish for over a decade before canceling it earlier this week.
Money was spent on research and development, as were thousands of Apple engineers and automotive professionals who collaborated on the project.
Apple CEO Tim Cook approved the initiative, although the automobile team realized it would be nearly impossible.
While Apple was apparently in talks with Elon Musk about purchasing Tesla, the corporation felt that constructing its own car was more practical than attempting to integrate Tesla into Apple.
According to The New York Times, Apple failed to develop the software and algorithms for autonomous driving.
The more than 2,000 staff who worked on the automobile project are being dispersed; some will join other Apple teams to work on AI and other technologies, while others will be laid off. Apple will use what it learned from the automobile effort to develop additional products, such as AI-powered AirPods with cameras, robot assistants, and augmented reality.