Apple’s self-driving electric car still at early stage, sources say, as more ex-Tesla staff added to project
- Apple will take at least half a decade to launch an autonomous, electric vehicle, according to people with knowledge of the efforts
- The company has also recruited dozens of ex-Tesla hardware and self-driving car engineers to join the project
The Cupertino, California-based technology giant has a small team of hardware engineers developing drive systems, vehicle interior and external car body designs with the goal of eventually shipping a vehicle.
That is a more ambitious goal than in previous years when the project mostly focused on creating an underlying self-driving system. The company has also added more ex-Tesla executives to the project.
Still, some Apple engineers on the project believe the company could release a product in five to seven years if Apple goes ahead with its plans.
The car is nowhere near production stage, the people said, though they did warn timelines could change. They asked not to be identified discussing sensitive, internal work.
Most of the team is currently either working from home or at the office for limited time, slowing the company’s ability to develop a full vehicle. An Apple spokesman declined to comment.