As a piece of setback news, Apple Car chief Doug Field has joined Ford Motors. The OG automaker announced that Field has come aboard as the manufacturer’s chief advanced technology and embedded systems officer. This is the second time Field has departed from Apple to join another automaker; previously, he left Apple to join Tesla, where he played an instrumental role in the development and launch of the Model 3 sedan and returned to Apple in 2018.
Allegedly, the Cupertino tech giant is vigorously pursuing the development of its autonomous passenger vehicle. Although the launch of Apple Car is years away, the company has been keeping busy finalizing its supply chain and on its visit to South Asia, it was in talks with several South Korean manufacturers for components and Japanese automaker Toyota Motors for the EV’s production. Thus, the departure of Doug Field is deemed as a big offset for Project Titan.
Ford hires Apple Car chief to compete with electric automakers like Tesla
Bloomberg reports that Ford’s CEO Jim Farley has not only doubled the company’s share value but also convinced investors that automaker can transform itself to compete with electric vehicles and technology like Tesla. Doug’s experience and expertise are likely to help Ford accomplish that.
“This is a watershed moment for our company — Doug has accomplished so much,” Farley said in a briefing with reporters. “This is just a monumental moment in time that we have now to really remake” the automaker.
Bloomberg News reported the move earlier Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Ford shares reversed a decline on the news and rose 0.5% at the close of regular trading in New York, while Apple gained about 1.6%, off its intraday high.
With the aim to deliver the best products, Apple is reportedly developing a new revolutionary monocell battery to power its EV which will consume less power and deliver more range. Recently, two former engineers at Mercedes joined Apple’s Special Projects group. And prior to that Kevin Lynch, Apple’s health and Apple Watch, and Ulrich Kranz, a former BMW executive and CEO of Canoo Inc. joined the company’s Apple Car division.
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