Apple’s Secretive Self-Driving Car Fleet Expands to 27

Apple doubled up on their self-driving car fleet in California, which has the industry wondering.

A recent article from The Verge shared reports that Apple is in it for keeps.

According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, Apple has doubled its fleet of test vehicles, bringing the total to 27.

Unlike its competitors, the tech giant has remained secretive regarding its progress on self-driving cars.

Codenamed Project Titan, Apple's autonomous vehicle effort has trended toward the development of hardware and software instead of actual autonomous vehicles. This most recent expansion employed Lexus RX450h SUVs, the first of which wore Apple tech back in April 2017.

In a recent analysis of the competitive landscape surrounding autonomous vehicles, research firm Navigant Research found that Apple ranked second-to-last in a comparison of manufacturing, strategy, and execution.

Apple's efforts fell behind those of established marques such as GM, Ford, and Volkswagen. Also earning high marks were industry collaborations including BMW-Intel-FCA, Daimler-Bosch, and Volvo-Autoliv-Ericsson-Zenuity. Startups like Waymo and Aptiv topped the ranks of relative newcomers.

Who ranked last? Tesla.

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