Apple Cancels Self-Driving Vehicle Testing Permit in California After Abandoning Car Project
Just over six months after Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple abandoned its plans to release an electric vehicle, California's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) canceled Apple's autonomous vehicle testing permit, according to macReports.
The report states that the DMV received confirmation from Apple to cancel the permit on September 25, and the permit became canceled as of September 27. While this decision is not surprising given Gurman's reporting earlier this year, this is effectively the final nail in the coffin for Apple's decade-long electric vehicle project.
The permit allowed Apple to test a self-driving vehicle with a safety driver on any public road within California. Apple received the permit in 2017, and macReports said that it would have been active until April 30, 2025 had it not been canceled.
Apple was using leased Lexus SUVs equipped with an array of sensors and cameras to test various autonomous driving technologies on California streets.
Read our Apple Car roundup for more details about the canceled project.
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