It has emerged that Apple has hired another automotive bigwig, igniting fresh rumours of an Apple Car being in the works.
The Cupertino company has added Doug Betts, the former global head of operations at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, to its ranks, according to the WSJ.
Betts’ LinkedIn profile says he joined Apple this month, but barely hints at what he’ll be doing there. His current position simply reads ‘Operations – Apple Inc’.
Apple has long been rumoured to be working on its own vehicle, which is believed to be an electric car codenamed ‘Project Titan’.
The iPhone 6 and Apple Watch-maker has recruited plenty of automotive talent over recent months, tempting people away from major firms such as Mercedes-Benz and Tesla.
However, Apple’s new-found rivals don’t seem to be particularly concerned about the company’s latest project.
“If there were a rumour that Mercedes or Daimler planned to start building smartphones then they (Apple) would not be sleepless at night,” said Mercedes-Benz chairman Dieter Zetsche earlier this year.
“And the same applies to me. And this is full of respect for Apple. That is what I am saying.”
Related: Apple Car: The biggest challenges
He has a point. Apple needs to overcome a series of major obstacles in order to get its car off the ground. Follow the link above to see what those are.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.