Apple Makes It Official - They Will Soon Be Driving Your Vehicle

Would the folks who believed the "Project Titan" rumors -- that Apple was preparing to MANUFACTURE autonomous cars -- please chime in below. (Writing software, making iPhones and laptop computers... vs. building cars: it's an entirely different business.)

Well, if perpetually cash-strapped Tesla could do it... Comes to intent, not ability, and Apple does not want to be a hardware company anymore.

They weren't rumors, and it turns out there are still Apple black sites in Silicon Valley working on the car. I thought the project was cancelled, but it now looks like it was just temporarily scaled down. Apple has the rights to build up to 4 million SQFT in North San Jose, that was supposed to be R&D for the car but those plans were put on hold indefinitely. Work is still happening in small facilities away from the main campus.

SanJoseDriver: What you're still not seeing...

"Building autonomous cars" is not equal to "writing software for autonomous cars."

The "Project Titan" rumors were about Apple allegedly getting into building autonomous cars. It was NOT about them just doing software. Apple never admitted to getting into autonomous car productions, even though that's what the rumors alleged. Apple has recently disclosed that they are developing software for autonomous cars, which is different than manufacturing cars (what the Project Titan rumors alleged).

So yeah, the Project Titan rumors were just that: rumors. We now know that they were wrong... unless there are still believers who think Apple is still secretly going to produce Apple Cars, and they've chosen only to reveal the software component of that.

I seriously doubt that arrogant Apple statement.

Apple making its own car makes no sense, but being the brains behind an effective autonomous technology that it could license to manufacturers would be game changing.

Just an added though for readers' consideration: Apple had been "working on" an Apple-branded TV for years. Tim Cook even dropped hints. Nothing became of it, and the buzz eventually died out.

Remember that Apple's profits and cash reserves are enormous. Cash is literally in the hundreds of billions of dollars! They can easily afford to explore something of interest, such as autonomous car software, have nothing become of it, and forget it and move on, all without making a scratch on the surface of their immense cash pile.

Consider this a distinct possibility. I do.