Sept. 13, 2016—Apple has decided to rethink its autonomous vehicle strategy, laying off dozens of employees working on the project, according to a report from the New York Times.
The move is the latest sign of trouble for Apple’s autonomous vehicle project, as other tech giants and automakers have continued to make progress on autonomous technology. Google, Uber, Ford, GM, FCA, and Volvo have all said they expect to have autonomous vehicles on the road within roughly five years.
According to people briefed on the matter, via the New York Times, the layoffs are part of a “reboot” of the autonomous program. While Apple has never acknowledged that it is working on an autonomous vehicle, the New York Times said the company has a number of fully autonomous vehicle in testing.
An earlier change in Apple’s strategy changed the focus from designing and producing an automobile to developing the underlying technology for an autonomous vehicle, according to Bloomberg.
