The development of Apple’s self-driving car may be speeding fast.
According to a Bloomberg article, Apple’s long-rumored self-driving car has made another step ahead. Reports claim Apple has hired Desi Ujkashevic, a Ford veteran, to help speed up production of its first electric car.
Apple lost Doug Field to Ford a few months ago, and since then, executive Kevin Lynch has been in charge of the Apple Car project. After Field’s departure to Ford, the Apple Car’s progress became more murkier than it always was.
Lynch, a longtime Apple executive, has a strong background in software development. When it comes to the automobile business, he’s best-known for building software for the Apple Watch. Being able to rely on software experts like Ujkashevic is a positive indicator for a vehicle that will have some degree of autonomy.
At the very least, this indicates that Apple may be resuming work on the actual physical design of the Apple Car. Especially in light of claims that Apple plans to debut the iPhone 8 in 2025.
As worldwide director of automobile safety engineering at Ford, Ujkashevic most recently held that role. Before working at Ford, she was responsible for overseeing the design and development of a variety of Ford vehicles, including the Escape, Explorer and Fiesta.
Ujkashevic, on the other hand, appears to have a working knowledge of regulatory issues. When it comes to getting its automobile on the road, Apple is going to need a lot of support. So much the more, in the event that reports claiming that the vehicle will be fully autonomous are accurate.
In the same way that Apple hasn’t commented on the hiring, the company hasn’t commented on the Apple Car. Many problems, such as the departure of key personnel and difficulties securing manufacturing partners, have been reported. It seems that many established automobile manufacturers were apprehensive to give over control to Apple and risk becoming little more than glorified original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
The predicted debut date of 2025 may seem like a long time away, but it’s getting closer and closer. It’s impossible to assess the feasibility of this aim until we know the exact state of development the Apple Car is now at. Even more so, given that Apple has never built a vehicle before.
Because electric motors do not need the same level of research and development as internal combustion engines, it should be simpler to break into the sector of electric vehicles. However, a vehicle is not the same as a smartphone or laptop, so making the switch still needs extensive expertise.
While I’m cautiously hopeful, we’ll have to wait and see what Ujkashevic’s employment means for the Apple Car’s future.