Apple might have scaled back its team that’s responsible for its self-driving car project, but it doesn’t seem like the company is giving up on the segment. In fact, a recent hire might mean they’re bucking down on it. Apple just hired Michael Schwekutsch, Tesla’s vice president for overseeing electric powertrains. He is now Apple’s senior director of Engineering at the Special Project Group, which is the division in charge of driverless cars. As expected, no one has mentioned what he’ll be doing in the company, but his background does tell us a bit of why Apple has taken him onboard.
Schwekutsch has a lot of experience working with electric drivetrains, and it isn’t limited to his work with Tesla. He’s worked on cars like the second-generation Roadster, the Semi, BMW i8, Fiat 500e, and Porsche 918 Spyder, among other EVs and hybrids. It’s expected he might continue on that path with Apple. But we won’t know for sure. We’re keeping our eyes peeled for any updates.
Source: Engadget