If Apple continues with its mysterious plan to build a vehicle, which presumably would be an electric variant, it will have competition not only from Tesla and a growing number of models from companies such as Ford, GM and others, but also from Faraday Future.
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Interestingly enough, it’s also been reported that Apple has bullishly pressed its auto team to meet deadlines that may not be realistic. The Daimler executive didn’t name the companies he met with or the topic of the talks, but said progress on high-tech automotive projects was evident.
Apple still has yet to confirm it’s working on a vehicle, but reportedly has hired more than 1,000 employees for the project. The change was precipitated by a post-holiday progress review conducted by Apple design chief Jony Ive, according to a previously reliable source with knowledge of the team’s activities. There, he played a significant role in the development and design of the iPod and the iPhone. The loss of Zadesky’s automotive engineering experience is sure to be a setback for the tech giant. That apparently lead to a decision to freeze all hiring on the project, suggesting that Apple has some reevaluation to do. All that reports have indicated is that Zadesky is leaving for “personal reasons”, without any elaboration. “At the same time they have more respect for our achievements than we thought”, Zetsche said.
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The company is undoubtedly hoping that jumping into the automobile business will give it a new blockbuster product to help drive sales.
