Apple is developing its own electric car. According to reports The Wall Street Journal, on a project called “Titan” has a team of several hundred people. Recently it was joined by the former head of Fiat Chrysler Arcs Bette.
The company from Cupertino has several hundred employees who are engaged in secret workings of the Apple electric car. Bette worked, according to information on the LinkedIn page, became an Apple employee in July of this year. He headed a research laboratory Fiat Chrysler since 2009. At the end of last year he left the Italian-American company to pursue his career at Apple.
The news about hiring specialist Fiat Chrysler came against the backdrop of rumours about the development of Apple’s own car, which must compete with the Tesla. Sources have identified that in order to participate in this project several Tesla employees left the company. The project is secret, the name “Titan”. Now in its framework is the design of the vehicle that resembles a minivan, said one of the people.
Apple CEO Tim cook approved the car project in early 2014. To lead the project, was appointed Vice President of Apple, Steve Sadecki. Zaleski is a former Ford engineer, he also participated in creating the iPod and iPhone.
Sadecki allowed to recruit a team of 1,000 people. He can poach employees from different companies. The team works a few miles from the headquarters of Apple in Cupertino. The project team engaged in the study of robotics, metals and materials used in the automotive industry, announced the publication are familiar with the project people.
Among the staff of the Department of industrial design at Apple there are several people who have had experience in European automotive companies. So, Apple has hired renowned industrial designer Marc Newson, who last worked on the development of the concept car for Ford Motor Co.
The first assumption that Apple is going to enter the market appeared many years ago. In 2007 it became known that Apple is in talks with Volkswagen about the joint production car called the iCar. In October 2012 it was reported that the car was one of the last projects of one of the founders and head of Apple Steve jobs, which he did not finish.
