The whispers suggesting Apple may be working on its very own car continue to grow louder with reports claiming the firm has poached more top automotive experts to work on the top secret project.
The Financial Times says “dozens of Apple employees, led by experienced managers from its iPhone unit” are conducting research at a secret lab near the firm’s Cupertino home.
Last week it was revealed Apple had acquired serveral top Tesla employees and now the FT says former Mercedes-Benz R&D boss Johann Jungwirth has joined the company, a move confirmed by Jungwirth on his LinkedIn page soon after (via 9to5Mac).
While the assumption Apple’s interest in the automotive industry has previously been the limited to the proliferation of its dashboard CarPlay platform, the FT’s sources echoed many industry insiders who’ve recently suggested something bigger is in play.
One person who the report says ‘has worked closely with Apple for many years,’ told the paper: “Three months ago I would have said it was CarPlay. Today I think it’s a car.”
Read more: Apple Car news
The report claims Jonathan Ive’s designers have been on a recruiting spree lately as it seeks to bring experienced personnel into the fold. The ‘secret research’ lab is also said to have been established late last year, following the initial launch of the iPhone 6 and Apple Watch.
The growing whispers follow a report earlier this week in which an unnamed Apple employee purportedly told Business Insider the firm planned to give Elon Musk’s Telsa a run for its money. Bryan Chaffin, the co-founder of The Mac Observer also claimed he is ‘certain’ Apple is working on a car.
Do you think the company could be cooking up a four-wheeled friend in that secret lab? Or would the lack of experience in the field and the absence of a manufacturing plant make an Apple Car a non-starter? Let us know your thoughts below.
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Editorial independence
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.
