Apple Car Project Loses 'Several' Top Managers

[MacRumors]

Apple has lost "several" top managers from its internal Apple Car project, codenamed "Project Titan," causing a potential setback to the launch of the self-driving car, according to a new report from Bloomberg.

From the report:

Apple Inc. has lost multiple top managers of its self-driving car team in recent months, a sign of attrition at the division involved in what could become an important future product.

In recent days, Dave Scott, who led teams working on robotics related to the car, left to become the chief executive officer at Hyperfine, a health care company developing next-generation MRI systems. Before Scott’s departure, Jaime Waydo, who led autonomous car safety and regulation teams, departed to become the chief technology officer at Cavnue, a startup focused on the safety of autonomous cars on public roads.

In February, Benjamin Lyon, who helped create Apple’s original car team several years ago and was key in the future project’s development, left to become the chief engineer at Astra, a company developing technology for sending satellites to space.

Over the last few months, a flurry of reports have surfaced detailing potential specifics on an Apple Car. Bloomberg has previously reported that the self-driving vehicle is still in early development and is still at least five years away, while reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that the vehicle is unlikely to launch until 2025 at the earliest.

Despite the recent departure of some top-level managers from the project, Apple has added notable executives to "Project Titan." In February, the Cupertino tech giant hired a former Porsche executive with experience in chassis design. You can learn more about the Apple Car and everything we know about it using our guide.

Article Link: Apple Car Project Loses 'Several' Top Managers

 

[Spock]

Maybe they were let go because Apple isn’t releasing a car…. I just can’t imagine an Apple car. Maybe I’m wrong.

 

[WRXHokie]

This is a telling sign of a dead project

 

[KillerTree]

Apple managers leaving to become managers at other companies is news. Apple Managers leaving to become CEOs and CTOs isn't news. People move up

 

[Trenches]

It’s like a car from the year 3000… because that’ll be when it first starts production.

 

[Sasparilla]

I believe alot of Apple projects never see the light of day and there is going to be huge (auto) industry demand for anyone with expertise in this area as well.

 

[citysnaps]

Apple managers leaving to become managers at other companies is news. Apple Managers leaving to become CEOs and CTOs isn't news. People move up

Exactly. Life in Silicon Valley.

 

[XXPP]

Top executives are useless.

 

[calstanford]

I guess they dropped the whole "we will build our own car" (manufactured by Hyundai et al) thing when negotiations broke down with proper car manufacturers who didn't want to become OEMs.

So now everyone involved in (trying to) make that happen quit and/or got laid off. Not surprising as this "Apple Car" thing whatever it will end up being will be a lot smaller than what it was envisioned to be. (Think iTunes on a Motorola phone rather than building an iPhone)

 

[skippermonkey]

I wonder if Apple is aiming too high with this project. I suspect it's trying to make a perfect autonomous vehicle for its first entry, when it's not needed. Its taken Tesla a long time to make half-decent cars (none of which are allowed to fully drive themselves yet), and the company value has gone through the roof. The automative industry tends to be iterative; evolution not revolution. Produce a good looking car, with a great infotainment system that works with Apple's ecosystem, and then improved and adapt it. Then, when regulations allow, start rolling out the autonomous driving stuff.

Alternatively, maybe they simply can't decide what it form it should take or what it should look like. That also wouldn't surprise me.

 

[Kabeyun]

This is a telling sign of a dead project

I disagree with your “analysis.” The three listed people took bigger and likely more lucrative jobs as one CEO and two CTOs. They got what they wanted from Apple – a leadership position on the CV – and are now taking their shot at the brass ring. The sky is not falling.

 

[jmgregory1]

As far as an Apple car goes, I am not convinced this is the right market for Apple to get into, be it autonomous or human driven. Maybe it would make more sense for Apple to develop autonomous electric / fuel cell semi trucks, given we’re already dealing with aging truck drivers and less people getting into driving trucks, which is already having an effect on the movement of goods and services. It’s one of those things that very few people think about, but it impacts all of our lives on a daily basis, and if we don’t address it, we’ll have much bigger issues than wondering if our Apple Car can make it to grandma’s house and back on a single charge.

 

[JosephAW]

Best thing that could have happened.

 

[Sharewaredemon]

Maybe they were let go because Apple isn’t releasing a car…. I just can’t imagine an Apple car. Maybe I’m wrong.

It's not the car, it's the service attached to the car they will be selling.

 

[rednip]

Car driving won’t be fully automatic for decades. They should be putting their efforts into quad copters for personal transportation as that would be much easier to automate.

 

[nt5672]

Seems like this is not the first time this has happened.

Maybe, just maybe, there is something fundamentally wrong with a company that expects the car market to replace the hardware every three years.

 

[Yokon54]

Top executives are useless.

So wrong. Mid level management is useless. Top executives like CEO and CFO matter a lot. Get a bad CEO in a company and you’ll see what happens.

 

[applebro]

This is a telling sign of a dead project

Possibly but lately Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid have been sniping us design engineers and our management more than ever before lately. The packages they’re offering is insane.

 

[DelayedGratificationGene]

Maybe they were let go because Apple isn’t releasing a car…. I just can’t imagine an Apple car. Maybe I’m wrong.

Tim basically said during his most recent interview there will be a full autonomous Apple Car. Read the interview.

 

[luvbug]

It would be great not to hear about this project "for at least 5 years". At that point, there might actually be something to report.

 

[Armada2]

Hmm "several" top managers.. You do know in most companies, the managers who are hired are crap at their job and it's the minions below them who do all the hard work etc but of course, it's the managers who are the ones who take credit.. not worried at all. Next!

 

[seamuskrat]

Apple has lost "several" top managers from its internal Apple Car project, codenamed "Project Titan," causing a potential setback to the launch of the self-driving car, according to a new report from Bloomberg.

From the report:
Over the last few months, a flurry of reports have surfaced detailing potential specifics on an Apple Car. Bloomberg has previously reported that the self-driving vehicle is still in early development and is still at least five years away, while reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that the vehicle is unlikely to launch until 2025 at the earliest.

Despite the recent departure of some top-level managers from the project, Apple has added notable executives to "Project Titan." In February, the Cupertino tech giant hired a former Porsche executive with experience in chassis design. You can learn more about the Apple Car and everything we know about it using our guide.

Article Link: Apple Car Project Loses 'Several' Top Managers

It seems all the listed folks got significantly promotional roles. Going from a project manager to a CEO or CTO is huge. Even if it means leaving Apple. Apple may or mayn't have a viable car product in the future but you cannot fault an employee from looking a the landscape and taking advantage of opportunity. After all with the pandemic many people have evaluated choices and their situation. If key people were leaving for similar roles or competitors that is a huge concern. But leaving to become the head or C Suite at another start up is good - albeit bad for Apple.
Some change and turnovers good. They key metric is to ask why the turnover. Toxic environment, bad boss, doomed project or personal growth and development. What we may be missing is a promotion or two of those that remained.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Maybe they were let go because Apple isn’t releasing a car…. I just can’t imagine an Apple car. Maybe I’m wrong.

I couldn't imagine an Apple phone back in the days.

 

[BornAgainMac]

This is not a problem. They are just "resources". You just replace them with a new manager resource.

 

[WRXHokie]

I disagree with your “analysis.” The three listed people took bigger and likely more lucrative jobs as one CEO and two CTOs. They got what they wanted from Apple – a leadership position on the CV – and are now taking their shot at the brass ring. The sky is not falling.

It wasn't an analysis. Sure it just may be regular turnover, apple jobs are gateways to better jobs. But if its happening all at once, then when their is smoke there is fire. Maybe its just not as profitable as apple would like, car sales margins are incredibly thin historically.