Apple has apparently acquired the services of yet another automotive executive as speculation about its rumoured car project continues to ramp up.
According to a LinkedIn profile update from (ex-)senior Tesla engineer Jamie Carlson, he now works for Apple. The business networking page now lists Carlson as an employee in a “special projects group.”
Re/Code points out Carlson is the seventh known person with experience in the automated driving sector to wind up in Cupertino.
They join a number of senior figures from Tesla who’ve been poached by Apple over the last 12 months, while Apple has also grabbed the former head of Mercedes-Benz R&D division.
The news comes after last week’s Guardian report showcasing documents confirming Apple is hoping to test a vehicle at a secretive California track used by other manufacturers to test self-driving cars.
See also: Apple Car: The biggest challenges Apple faces
Apple is yet to confirm or deny the reports it is building a car, but the firm’s operations chief Jeff Williams recently teased that the car is the “ultimate mobile device.”
Regardless of whether Apple is working on an e-car or a self-driving car or something else all together, one thing is clear; its automotive ambitions stretch well beyond CarPlay.
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