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Apple Gets The Green Light to Test Self-driving Cars in California

4-17-2017, SAN FRANCISCO — Much-discussed and sometimes despaired of, there's finally official word that Apple is working on a self-driving car, joining the dozens of other tech and auto companies approved to test autonomous vehicles in California.

The Cupertino, Calif.-based tech giant has long been rumored to be working on its own autonomous car as part of an initiative called Project Titan, but has never officially confirmed its plans.

Apple was so mum about the project that some thought it may have been shuttered, said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst for Autotrader.

However, on Friday the company appeared on the state's Department of Motor Vehicle's list of approved applicants to test autonomous vehicles. That list had already included companies such as Tesla, Google and Uber, along with car makers including BMW, Ford, Honda and Volkswagen.

“For a company that has yet to publicly acknowledge its efforts in this area, this is as close to a tacit admission" as is likely to be given, said Michael Ramsey, a self-driving car analyst with Gartner. "It will be interesting to see what form the test vehicles take and what can be gleaned about Apple's strategy.”

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Apple's Tim Cook Tells the Car Industry to Expect 'Massive Change'

The Telegraph -- Apple's chief executive has given the latest sign that the iPhone maker is planning an assault on the car industry, saying there is a "massive change" in the market.

Tim Cook did not comment on numerous rumours and reports that Apple is preparing to build its own car, but suggested that it could make further strides into the market beyond its current, limited, efforts.

"It would seem like there will be massive change in that industry, massive change," Cook said at the Wall Street Journal's WSJDLive conference in California. "You may not agree with that. That’s what I think.

"When I look at the automobile, what I see is that software becomes an increasingly important part of the car of the future. You see that autonomous driving becomes much more important."

His comments come after widespread reports that Apple is preparing to follow fellow tech giant Google in developing a self-driving or electric car. It is reportedly preparing to put one on sale as early as 2019, but safety and testing regulations mean it would have to make such plans public well before then.

Apple Gets The Green Light to Test Self-driving Cars in California

Apple's Tim Cook Tells the Car Industry to Expect 'Massive Change'

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