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| Apple continues to develop self-driving electric car |
Apple hired Ulrich Kranz, a former BMW executive who specializes in electric cars, to help with their automotive endeavour.
The hiring process is the latest sign that Apple is seriously considering building electric cars to compete with automakers like Tesla.
Hyundai Motor said earlier this year that it was in talks with Apple to build its own car, then returned to its comments and said it would not be discussed.
Apple has never confirmed that they made cars. But he hired talent from the auto industry. The self-driving program was tested in California.
In 2018, Apple hired Doug Field from Tesla to work on the Model 3.
When incumbent automakers bring their cars to market, Apple, with its supply chain expertise, battery technology, and user experience, is their main competitor.
Apple's car project has seen several restructurings, the most recent being in early 2019.
The iPhone maker did not say whether Kranz worked on a car project called Special Projects Group or SPG. But Kranz has extensive experience building a team focused on electric vehicles.
Prior to joining Apple, Kranz was one of the founders of Canoo, which developed a self-driving electric car.
After 30 years at BMW, Kranz headed the company's electric vehicle development program, which culminated in the i3 electric car and the i8 hybrid sports car.
Apple electric car:
Kranz' position makes clear that the iPhone manufacturer is committed to building a self-driving electric vehicle. Kranz reports to Doug Field, who is now responsible for the Apple Car project.
The sale of iPhones, iPads, Macs and services made Apple the most valuable company in the world, valued at more than $2 trillion.
With investors and customers alike in need of new products, the company focused on cars and augmented reality glasses.
Apple began developing this vehicle in 2014. However, efforts to focus on a standalone platform ended in 2016, which can either be sold to other companies or used on its own.
During that time, the company acquired several Tesla executives. Anyone helping now controls autonomous driving, architecture, and internal and external operations.
Last year, Apple entrusted the process to John Gianandrea, senior vice president of machine learning and artificial intelligence.
A few months ago, Apple resumed its efforts to develop fully electric cars. But the development is still in the beginning. Therefore, implementation can take at least five years.
Prior to Kranz's appointment, Apple had lost some key car managers. Benjamin Leon, Jamie Wade, and Dave Scott, who worked in engineering, security systems and robotics, left. Why the three left is unknown.
Apple has been collaborating with BMW for many years, and in 2004 it combined the iPod with its automatic infotainment system. The iPhone has recently started to act as a car key.