A new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reveals that Apple may be scaling back on its ambitions to build an actual car, shifting its strategy to focus on the development of an autonomous driving system. The report notes that Apple has not entirely abandoned efforts to design its own vehicle, and may in fact even partner with or acquire an established car maker rather than building a car on its own, but those familiar with the project say that the recent hire of Dan Dodge — the head of BlackBerry’s automotive software division — is an indicator that an emphasis on the self-driving technology has increased.
It was revealed earlier this week that former Apple executive and “special projects” head Bob Mansfield is now heading up Project Titan — the codename for the car initiative — after several reports revealed the project to be floundering following the departure of former Apple VP of Product Design Steve Zadesky. Notably, Mansfield also reports directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook, unlike Zadesky, who reported instead to Dan Riccio, Apple’s SVP of Hardware Engineering. Mansfield’s division is said to include three major teams covering software, sensors, and hardware engineering, led by Apple veterans John Wright, Benjamin Lyon, and D.J. Novotney.