Apple Cancels Self-Driving Vehicle Testing Permit in California After Abandoning Car Project - MacRumors
Skip to Content

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.

carplay next gen hero
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.

Popular Stories

Apple Card iPhone 16 Pro Feature

Apple Card Promo to Offer Free AirPods Pro 3

Friday May 15, 2026 8:59 am PDT by
Starting as early as next week, customers who sign up for an Apple Card at Apple's retail stores in the U.S. will receive $249 cash back when they purchase AirPods Pro 3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The promotion has yet to be officially announced by Apple, so exact terms and conditions are not available at this time. AirPods Pro 3 are priced at $249 in the U.S., so customers who...
airpods pro 3 pink

New Apple Card Holders Can Get Free AirPods Pro 3, But There's a Catch

Monday May 18, 2026 8:11 am PDT by
Apple today launched a new promotion offering new Apple Card holders the chance to earn back the cost of AirPods Pro 3 through monthly cash rebates, but there is a recurring spend requirement attached. Customers who open a new Apple Card account and purchase AirPods Pro 3 directly from Apple by June 15 will qualify. Starting July 1 and running through April 30, 2027, cardholders can earn $25 ...
Apple WWDC25 iOS 26 CarPlay Light mode 250609

Six Popular iPhone Apps Now Available on CarPlay

Thursday May 14, 2026 9:10 am PDT by
Apple's CarPlay system for accessing iPhone apps on a vehicle's dashboard screen has received six popular apps in recent weeks: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Grok, Google Meet, WhatsApp, and the indie artist streaming platform Audiomack. Make sure you have the latest version of each app and they will automatically appear on CarPlay. ChatGPT Starting with iOS 26.4, CarPlay supports voice-based...

Top Rated Comments

21 months ago

Just buy Tesla Apple. Elon is a jerk anyway.
You almost need a jerk leader to build revolutionary products - Elon alone has Tesla, spaceX and starlink. Then there’s Steve Jobs and Sam Altman for OpenAI as further examples. If you’re a “nice” leader that bows to public opinion you get today’s Google with Sundar Pichai, todays Apple with Tim Cook and the Chevy Blazer with Mary Barra. You must make your own decision if you want awesome products or pleasant CEOs
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
21 months ago
After seeing Tesla robocab they had a meeting and decided to focus on emojis
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
21 months ago

Just buy Tesla Apple. Elon is a jerk anyway.
Jerks get stuff done.


See: Steve Jobs
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vertsix Avatar
21 months ago
By the looks of it, Vision Pro is next. :(
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ProbablyDylan Avatar
21 months ago

Tim Cook's biggest failure. Shame on you Timmy.
I don't see this as a failure. Knowing when to hit the brakes is an important part of being a leader.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
21 months ago

Apple was NEVER going to build a car.

I've been saying that for what feels like a decade at this point. It was somebody's pet project that was NEVER going to be a product.
Yeah because they poached Doug Field (key head engineer guy for Model 3) from Tesla to never build a car, right?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)