Photo: Vanarama
Apple is working around the clock on getting the Apple Car ready for launch, but on the other hand, as we approach the completion of the first prototype, more and more key engineers leave the company.
This time, a report from Bloomberg reveals that the Cupertino-based tech giant has lost not one, not two, but three different high-profile engineers, all of them departing the firm to join aviation companies.
Eric Rogers, who was until recently Apple’s chief engineer for radar systems, has joined electrical aerial ride-sharing firm Joby Aviation. Air-taxi startup Archer Aviation has also managed to secure the signings of Alex Clarabut, who was working on the battery unit, and Stephen Spiteri, part of Apple’s hardware engineering division.
Apple lost a total of six key members of the Project Titan team in 2021, and while it did manage to appoint other high-profile engineers, all these management changes aren’t necessarily good news, especially given the debut of the Apple Car is approaching.
The Cupertino-based tech giant is expected to finalize the work on the first prototype of the Apple Car in 2023, though some sources claim the whole thing could happen even as soon as the next year.
The launch of the self-driving car, however, wouldn’t take place sooner than 2025, and while some analysts expect Apple to at least confirm its automotive ambitions in 2022, this is very unlikely to happen.
Apple’s leadership team considers the Apple Car a high-priority project, and therefore any information related to the development of the vehicle is available only to a very limited number of engineers. This way, Apple hopes to prevent any leaks from happening, though this approach has proven to be too ambitious until now.
Earlier this year, Apple dropped Apple Car manufacturing talks with Hyundai specifically due to the carmaker spilling the beans on the project. At this point, a JV formed by Magna and LG is believed to have the biggest chances of securing a contract manufacturing deal with Apple for the Apple Car.
Eric Rogers, who was until recently Apple’s chief engineer for radar systems, has joined electrical aerial ride-sharing firm Joby Aviation. Air-taxi startup Archer Aviation has also managed to secure the signings of Alex Clarabut, who was working on the battery unit, and Stephen Spiteri, part of Apple’s hardware engineering division.
Apple lost a total of six key members of the Project Titan team in 2021, and while it did manage to appoint other high-profile engineers, all these management changes aren’t necessarily good news, especially given the debut of the Apple Car is approaching.
The Cupertino-based tech giant is expected to finalize the work on the first prototype of the Apple Car in 2023, though some sources claim the whole thing could happen even as soon as the next year.
The launch of the self-driving car, however, wouldn’t take place sooner than 2025, and while some analysts expect Apple to at least confirm its automotive ambitions in 2022, this is very unlikely to happen.
Apple’s leadership team considers the Apple Car a high-priority project, and therefore any information related to the development of the vehicle is available only to a very limited number of engineers. This way, Apple hopes to prevent any leaks from happening, though this approach has proven to be too ambitious until now.
Earlier this year, Apple dropped Apple Car manufacturing talks with Hyundai specifically due to the carmaker spilling the beans on the project. At this point, a JV formed by Magna and LG is believed to have the biggest chances of securing a contract manufacturing deal with Apple for the Apple Car.
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