- According to Bloomberg, Apple employees called the first electric car design “bread loaf.”
- The minivan was tested by Apple executives in 2020 as part of Apple's secret project, Project Titan.
- CEO Tim Cook was impressed, but Bread Loaf wasn't always viewed positively, according to Bloomberg.
Apple employees working on the tech giant's first electric car built a prototype in 2020 called “Bread Loaf,” a name sometimes used pejoratively.
The nickname was first reported in a Bloomberg feature on Apple's top secret “Project Titan” to build failed cars, but top executives officially announced the name on February 27 after nearly a decade of work. The plan was shelved.
The four-seater prototype resembled a minivan, featuring “rounded sides, a full glass roof, sliding doors, and whitewall tires,” as Bloomberg writes.
According to Bloomberg reporters Mark Garman and Drake Bennett, the car team didn't necessarily use the name “Breadloaf” “in an affectionate way.”
Bread Loaf was an iteration that appeared on test tracks in 2020, although the design was later changed as the project's leadership moved to another company, according to Bloomberg.
Apple CEO Tim Cook also attended the demonstration, which the newspaper said was a classic example of how trying to impress your boss can backfire.
According to Bloomberg, the Apple team spent nine months preparing a proof-of-concept demo that was highly scripted and tweaked with Cook's safety in mind.
Project leaders wanted to advise Cook to aim for conditional autonomous driving. Automated driving is designed to allow the driver to immediately take over control, depending on the situation.
But Cook and other Apple executives liked the demo so much that they wanted a full suite of advanced self-driving features that would allow the computer to drive in any situation, Bloomberg reported.
Apple's cancellation of the car project comes as the electric vehicle market slows from an initial burst of hype and sales. Demand for expensive, premium electric vehicles is dwindling in the U.S., and automakers such as Ford and Tesla announced last year that they would postpone investments in new EV infrastructure.
Apple did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment sent outside of normal business hours.
