Rumours of a potential electric vehicle from Apple have surfaced again after the company recently recruited several auto industry veterans. As a consumer electronics manufacturer, Apple would have little use for the expertise that these people bring; unless it is actually building a car.
The rumour resurfaced after the Wall Street Journal noted that Doug Betts, former lead of global quality at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, had joined the company. Betts now joins a stable of automotive employees and robotics researchers that include Paul Furgale a well-regarded autonomous vehicle researcher from Switzerland. Both men will apparently be working on a supposed “Project Titan”, which is the code name for Apple’s top secret electric car.
Apple had met with high-end car manufacturers earlier this year; a fact that was discovered despite the company’s efforts to keep it quiet. Cupertino has refused to comment on the possibility of Project Titan being a reality, but the company traditionally refuses to comment on just about everything.
An earlier report indicated that Apple had switched product vice president Steve Zadesky to lead the new team; as Zadesky is a former Ford engineer with experience in the automotive sector. Little word about the new role has been revealed since the change, although this most recent expansion of manpower could indicate that Apple believes the project to be worth exploring further.
Whether Apple is actually building an entire electric car is possible, considering that other technology companies are looking to the automotive space for expansion. Google is reaching into multiple sectors in the space and doing everything from autonomous vehicles to Google Auto.
Apple’s more recent stance of having complete control over the final product is probably the driving force behind the exploration of a possible Apple made car. Whether it will indeed be a wholly electric vehicle like the WSJ expects is not out of the question. However, if it is the case, then there will likely be a very interesting future for the EV space.
[Source: Wall Street Journal]
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