Waymo’s Expansion: Acquiring Apple Car’s Arizona Test Track

Apple’s decision to sell off its self-driving car proving grounds in Arizona is a clear sign that the company has abandoned its autonomous vehicle ambitions. The 5,500-acre property, previously used for testing the Apple Car, has been acquired by Google’s Waymo for $220 million.

The property, located in Surprise, Arizona, was owned by Route 14 Investment Partners, LLC, a shell company associated with Apple. It was originally purchased by Apple in 2021 for $125 million after years of renting. The facility, which includes a city course, freeway course, vehicle dynamics area, and oval track, was used for testing autonomous vehicles.

Despite the potential for profit from the sale, it is a small amount compared to the reported $10 billion Apple spent on its Project Titan. The company’s decision to sell off the property reflects a shift in focus away from autonomous vehicles towards other projects.

Project Titan was one of Apple’s most ambitious but ultimately unsuccessful projects. The company’s Board of Directors decided to end the project in February 2024 after realizing the significant investment with little to show for it.

While the Apple Car may be dead, the technologies and lessons learned from the project have been leveraged for other projects within the company, such as the Vision Pro and household robotics. The legacy of the Apple Car lives on in these smaller pieces of technology.