Apple hires Lamborghini chief engineer for car project – report

Apple and Lamborghini are perhaps two of the most famous brands in the world, and now its leader in chassis and vehicle dynamics has been coveted by the tech giant.

Luigi Taraborrelli has moved from Italy to the San Francisco Bay Area, with Automotive News reports from sources that he has participated in Apple’s secret car program.

While it appears that much of the tech giant’s focus is on electric powertrains and autonomous driving technology, this hire shows a greater emphasis on driving dynamics and shows the car Apple’s first could be coming.

Mr. Taraborrelli is a 20-year veteran of Lamborghini, and has been head of the vehicle dynamics department for 14 years.

While his LinkedIn Without mentioning Apple’s gig, it confirms that he left Lamborghini in May.

An Apple spokesperson would not comment on hiring when contacted Automotive News – no big surprise, since the company doesn’t publicly endorse the program.

A report from Bloomberg says Apple plans to introduce its car around 2025 with an interior design that allows front-seat occupants to turn and face those in the back.

It is also said to have plans to develop a vehicle without a steering wheel or pedals, although this seems unlikely given the amount of effort required, legislative hurdles and meager time remaining. before that suggested launch date.

Apple’s program, which began in 2014, has also seen some employees being made late.

Last yearDoug Field – formerly Senior Vice President of Engineering at Tesla – has left his position as Vice President of Apple’s Special Projects Group to become the Director of Electric Vehicles and Digital Systems at Ford.

Artificial intelligence expert Ian Goodfellow is also said to have left Apple’s car project this year in protest at the company’s return-to-office policy.

Former Tesla autonomous driving engineer, CJ Moore, left Apple after just seven months to take up a role at Luminar, although another autonomous driving engineer – Stuart Bowers – remained at the company.

Among Apple’s talent are engineers who have moved in from Mercedes-Benz, Rivian, Tesla and Volvo, as well as Alphabet’s Waymo self-driving car division, along with designers from Aston Martin, McLaren, Porsche, and Aston Martin. Tesla.

The company recently hired Desi Ujkashevic, a Ford veteran who was supposed to lead Apple’s vehicle safety efforts, as well as Ulrich Kranz, a BMW veteran who led the way. i3 develop team.

Korean IT News report earlier this year that Apple traveled to South Korea in search of suppliers for parts for its first car, with the goal of selecting suppliers by the end of the year and starting full-blown development.

It is said to be focusing on Korean companies with mass production experience as they want to set up their supply chains.

Apple is understood to be looking for battery suppliers to South Korea due to the good US-China relationship, which seems to have previous plans to exploit the Chinese battery company CATL.

The Korean newspaper reports that Apple has even proposed an equity investment in one of these manufacturers, which the company wants to double its production capacity.

Recent reports also indicate that Apple has been in direct talks with Toyota to get it involved in some capacity, either as a supplier or manufacturer, and has also sent an envoy to Japan to meet with battery suppliers like Panasonic .

While Apple has shifted its focus to South Korea, one Korean company seems to have taken off its hat.

Hyundai said in 2021 it won’t build Apple cars as it reportedly has concerns about being just a contract manufacturer for Apple rather than a strategic partner.

Apple has been looking for a manufacturing hub in the US and has been meeting with Hyundai to discuss building its cars at the Kia plant in West Point, Georgia.

Instead, LG’s joint venture with Magna International, LG Magna e-Powertrain, is said to be the manufacturer of choice for Apple cars.

Magna had previously confirmed that it would build the vehicles at a North American plant if they were contracted to do so, while LG and SK Group’s battery arm, SK Innovation, is either active or planning to do so. opened a battery manufacturing facility in the US.

Various branches of LG Group such as LG Chem are already in Apple’s supply chain, the source said, providing assurance to Apple that there won’t be any supply chain problems.

Magna also built electricity Jaguar I-Pace.