Apple shifting focus to creating technology for autonomous cars
12 Sep 2016
Apple is shifting focus of its autonomous car project from actually making an autonomous car to creating the technology or an autonomous car that did not require a human driver.
The New York Times had earlier reported that Apple was ''rethinking'' its automotive strategy, and the new emphasis was confirmed on Friday by a person with knowledge of the project, motioncars.inquirer.net reported. The person spoke on condition of non-disclosure of identity because they were not authorised to discuss the project, the report stated.
The iPhone-maker's automotive project, which had long been an open secret in Silicon Valley, would now take a new direction and it did not foreclose the possibility that Apple might someday build its own car. It, however, opened the door to partnering with other car companies.
Apple did not make any official comment on Friday and had consistently declined to confirm its automotive ambitions. However, Elon Musk, chief executive of electric-car maker Tesla, had said that Apple had hired hundreds of engineers, including some from Tesla, to work on an automotive project.
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