Apple has initiated the layoff of 614 workers in California after discontinuing its electric car venture. According to a WARN notice from the California Employment Development Department, affected employees were notified on March 28, and the changes are slated to take effect on May 27. The impacted workforce was situated across eight locations in Santa Clara, approximately 45 miles south of San Francisco.
While the notice does not explicitly specify the projects the employees were involved in, Bloomberg indicates that a majority were stationed at facilities linked to the now-abandoned car project, with others engaged in next-generation screen development.
Apple phased out both these initiatives in late February. Internally referred to as “Project Titan,” the car project commenced in 2014 and was officially terminated on February 27. Following the cancellation, some remaining staff from the car project are expected to transition to Apple’s generative AI endeavors.
Around the same time, Apple ceased efforts to design and produce its advanced displays, initially intended for incorporation into Apple Watch before potentially extending to other devices in the company’s lineup.
These layoffs represent Apple’s foremost significant workforce reduction post-pandemic.
