Tesla CEO Elon Musk (Photo : Reuters)
Elon Musk's recent quotes made headline news in a German newspaper, in which he jokingly claimed that Apple hired his company's fired engineers, making it a Tesla "graveyard." However, the CEO has since clarified that he loves their products, which include iPhones and iPads, and is pleased they are developing an electric car. However, Musk is not a big fan of the Apple Watch yet.
The interview's transcript was from the daily periodical Handelsblatt, according to The Verge. Musk stated that producing an electric vehicle (EV) will be challenging for the Mac manufacturer due to its focus being on smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches.
Musk also stated that Apple has hired employees who his company had terminated. This was after he was asked whether a rival company had been stealing Tesla engineers.
Musk is now denying any animosity between Tesla and Apple. Apple has been rumored to be testing a self-driving car although it is years away from a launch, and could end up just developing onboard software for autonomous vehicles.
However, the Tesla CEO had some criticisms of the Apple Watch wearable. He praised the "beautiful" design, but is not yet sold on its functionality. Musk thinks it will be up to par by version 3.
Tesla's CEO was in Germany to talk with government officials about the future of EVs in the country, according to Engadget. Europe provides several green car incentives including permitting them to drive in bus lanes.
However, Musk criticized German automakers for resisting progress. In particular, he referred to Volkswagen's recent cheating scandal involving lab emissions testing, which involved 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide.
Tesla recently launched its Model X crossover SUV. While the base model starts at $75,000, the Signature Series has a price point beginning at $130,000.
This video features a test drive of the Tesla Model X:
