Despite the ongoing rumors of secret developments and billions of dollars been spent, Apple’s electric car project known as Project Titan has hit a dead end. Apple has failed to produce its first electric vehicle (EV) and has thrown in the towel on the entire project.
Viewed as the iPhone-maker’s next big project, the Apple self-driving EV was expected to create quite a stir in the automotive world. Apple has ever since quietly pulled the plug on the project and left a trail of laid-off employees and unrealized ambitions. Where Apple struggled to do more for the future of EVs, another legendary smartphone brand surged ahead. Tech giant Xiaomi is said to be building the electric car that dreams are made of after launching an electric car that has already turned heads.
Billion dollars wasted for Project Titan
While Apple’s developments in the electric vehicle world remained a tight-kept secret, the company never formally acknowledge Project Titan. Despite the secrecy from Apple, industry watchers speculated that Apple would unveil a $100,000 EV which would be a rival to well-known EV brand, Tesla. Part of Cupertino engineers’ dreams was the creation of a car without pedals or a steering wheel. When the EV market started to lose some of its pull, Apple has lost momentum too.
It was in February 2024 that Apple executives broke the silence and revealed that Project Titan was dead. While employees were laid off, hundreds of employees were tasked with the mission of focusing solely on AI. Apple’s exit from the EV market was not only the end of a dream Apple EV car, but the collapse of the 10 yearlong vision to amalgamate technology and transportation with an Apple on top.
Elon Musk took to social media to share his joy that Apple had pulled out of the running. Musk reacted with a salute emoji and a cigarette on social media that signified Apple’s failed attempt at revolutionizing the EV market in an Apple-like way. This is good news for Musk who won’t be making anymore Tesla electrics, since a new fuel has been found.
Xiaomi SU7 biting into Apple’s dream
Although Apple failed to launch their EV, Xiaomi has launched its first electric vehicle, the SU7 which has since the launch captivated the Chinese auto market. The Chinese smartphone company succeeded in producing a high-tech and well-connected EV that car enthusiasts were excited about.
The SU7 is no mere prototype but a mass-produced and street-legal sedan that makes use of futuristic software whilst still carrying its competitive price. At the Xiaomi launch, the SU7 sold out quickly causing the brand to revisit its delivery target from 76,000 to 130,000 units for 2024.
Why is Xiaomi’s EVC so different?
Xiaomi is a brand that proves success isn’t always about good specs, it’s more linked to creating an ecosystem on wheels. The SU7 links to Xiaomi smart devices allowing drivers adjust their home air conditioning, answer the video doorbell, or start a robotic vacuum all while driving.
Xiaomi’s operating system is native to both iOS and Android, eliminating the need for Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. The modular dashboard allows drivers to clip on magnetic switches and rotary dials setting the Chinese automaker apart from other Western automakers. It’s the finer details that show the brand understands its audience -young, tech-savvy drivers. The best part is that the upcoming SU7 Ultra is set to be a beast: a triple-motor EV pushing over 1,500 horsepower in a sedan form.
The journey from smartphones to smart cars
Xiaomi isn’t stopping at the SU7, and the brand already has two more vehicles in the pipeline. Xiaomi has proved it is here to stay with its decision to build its own 20,000-cars-per-month factory as the brand plans to tap into the Western market too.
Although Apple’s EV dream, Project Titan. never left the drawing board, Xiaomi has already delivered with “iCars” rolling out of Beijing, and not Silicon Valley. Xiaomi has proved that a smartphone brand can turn into a smart car brand.
