Apple’s self-driving electric car plans, known as “Project Titan”, appear to have hit a major roadblock. Bloomberg reports Apple car chief, Doug Field, has been hired away by Ford.
Prior to his stint at Apple, Field worked for Tesla and played a key role in launching the Model 3 electric sedan. He worked for Tesla as VP of Vehicle Programs and Engineering from 2013 to 2018.
Field left Tesla for Apple in August 2018, taking on the role of Vice President of the Special Projects Group, leading ‘Project Titan’.
Before coming back to Apple from Tesla to lead project Titan, he was VP of Product Design and Mac Hardware Engineering at Apple from 2008 to 2013.
It now appears Field has come full circle, as he returns to Ford, where he started his career as an engineer.
Ford’s electric vehicle offerings currently include the Mustang Mach-E, while the previously announced F-150 Lightning electric truck has amassed over 130,000 reservations.
The American automaker led by CEO Jim Farley has changed gears to shift to electric vehicles, and in the past year, the stock has surged 83%. The addition of Doug Field is seen as a positive move for Ford.
Apple said in a statement to Bloomberg, “We’re grateful for the contributions Doug has made to Apple and we wish him all the best in this next chapter.”
