Apple has decided to work with Volkswagen for some of its self-driving car efforts, The New York Times reported today. The plan, according to the NYT, is to turn some of Volkswagen’s T6 Transporter vans into autonomous shuttles for employees.
However, this project is reportedly behind schedule and taking up much of the time of Apple’s autonomous driving team. According to the NYT, Apple’s lengthy talks pertaining to partnerships with manufacturers like BMW and Mercedes-Benz have ended.
A Volkswagen T6 van
Earlier this month, Apple’s fleet of self-driving cars registered with the California Department of Motor Vehicles grew to 55 vehicles. That means Apple has the second largest fleet of self-driving cars in California, with General Motors’ Cruise coming in at number one. Apple’s standard autonomous vehicle tests rely on Lexus SUVs that have been equipped with sensors and autonomous hardware.
I’ve reached out to Apple and Volkswagen, and will update this story if I hear back.
