If the rate at which Apple is hiring experts from its rivals is any indication, the Cupertino tech titan's "secret" electric car project is finally gathering momentum. Recently, Apple has hired the services of Chris Porritt, a former vice-president of Tesla (Vehicle Engineering).
Before joining Tesla, Porritt served as a chief engineer with Aston Martin and was a part of the team that designed the Aston Martin DB9, V12 Zagato and the One-77 supercar. Porrit's appointment comes few months after Steve Zadesky, who was at the helm of Apple's car division codenamed "Project Titan," quit the tech firm, the Financial Times reported.
According to reports, Zadesky quit Apple after he was asked to increase the size of his automotive-focused team three-fold last September. This notice came following the division's failure to meet Apple's expectations. Apparently, Apple was pushing the 600-person team to meet its 2019 release deadline.
Now Porritt will be designated as Apple's "Special Projects Group PD Administrator." He is also likely to replace Zadesky. According to reports, now several senior Apple engineers will report to Porritt. Incidentally, Apple has hired many other experts from Tesla, but Porritt is the only senior engineer to make the switchover.
Meanwhile, Apple is said to have set up an R&D plant in Germany to facilitate the production and release of its electric car, iDigital Times reported quoting the German car news site Electrek. This team comprises 20-25 experts who are working on the project. It is expected that Apple may even manufacture the purported car in Europe, at least initially.
Following the failure of Apple's collaboration talks with BMW and Daimler, the tech titan is now reportedly in negotiations with Magna International to serve as the contract-base manufacturer to develop its electric car. Magna specializes in manufacturing limited-edition vehicles for high-end luxury automobile brands, such as Mini Clubman, Mini Paceman and the BMW X3.
Contrary to what many expect, Apple's electric car may not be a self-driving vehicle - at least initially.
