Apple, Inc. (AAPL) abandoned its self-driving car project due to the ambitious goal of surpassing Tesla with a fully autonomous vehicle, a challenge even Apple found too difficult. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman highlighted the project's downfall was Apple's attempt to create a car that required zero driver intervention, a goal the auto industry still struggles with. The project's cessation came after significant investment into a Level 5 self-driving system and design work for a car without traditional controls. Gurman also noted the auto industry's thin profit margins and high production challenges as additional hurdles for Apple.