The 'leaf' on the logo of Apple store turns green to welcome the World Earth Day on April 20, 2016 in Shenyang, Liaoning Province of China. (Photo : Getty Images/VCG)
The alacrity with which Apple is reportedly hiring experts from its rivals BMW and Tesla, it seems that the Cupertino tech titan's "secret" electric car project is finally catching momentum. While the Apple's collaboration talks with BMW and Daimler on the project have collapsed, latest reports suggest that the company has already set up an R&D base in Germany to pursue its dream project.
Apple has hired a British car designer Chris Porritt for heading its car project codenamed "Project Titan" in September 2015. Porritt earlier worked at Aston Martin and left the company in 2013 to become a vice-president at Tesla Motors.
Porritt's appointment came within months of Steve Zadesky quitting Apple's car project. The former Apple executive was said to be at the helm of the project, Electrek reported. Aside from being among several former Tesla engineers hired by Apple for its electric car division, Porritt happens to be the only senior manager to have taken the leap.
Moreover, the timing of his departure from Tesla concurs with Elon Musk's October 2015 comments referring Apple as a "Tesla Graveyard." Apple generally hires people that Tesla fired and hence, Apple is the "Tesla Graveyard," The Guardian quoted Musk as saying. Elaborating further, Musk said if one does not make it at Tesla; he goes to work at Apple.
While Apple has hired Porritt, another team of the company's engineers are currently working on the compant's "Project Titan" in Berlin. This team comprises 15 to 20 members including young engineering, software, hardware and sales personnel experts from the car industry.
Meanwhile, latest reports claimed that Apple plans to launch its electric car sometime in 2019 or 2020. Initially, the car will not be the self-driving vehicle that many have been expecting. In fact, the self-driving car will come later, but when it is launched the car will not even be partially automated.
It is likely that the purported electric car may also be developed in Europe, at least partially, as Apple is reportedly in collaboration talks with the Austrian car manufacturer Magna International after the talks with BMW and Daimler failed.
Magna has some additional capacity to engage in another manufacturing job. Earlier, the company was manufacturing Minis for BMW, but has now stopped doing so. Hence, it has freed up considerable space for manufacturing thousands of additional cars annually.
Watch the video on Apple's super electric car project below:
