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According to data collected by Google last year, the third most globally anticipated EV is the Apple car.
There have been many rumours over the years surrounding this vehicle, from different automakers who’ll collaborate with the tech giant on the project, to what form the vehicle itself will take. Whether or not the vehicle will actually come to fruition, has also been a topic of debate.
But it appears as though Apple is taking steps in the right direction towards “Project Titan,” as the car has been codenamed. Reportedly, the tech giant has recently poached one of Ford’s long term executives, Desi Ujkashevic (pictured above).
Ujkashevic has worked with Ford for more than three decades, with her most recent role as the automaker’s Global Director of Automotive Safety Engineering. This role involves the company’s autonomous vehicle safety systems. But over the 31 years that Ujkashevic has been with the company, she’s also been responsible for overseeing the engineering of the exterior, interior, chassis, and electrical components for many Ford vehicles.
Apple recently announced that it’ll have a heavy focus on fully autonomous driving for the vehicle’s projected market launch, which has been rumoured to happen as early as 2025, though, this is not confirmed.
Ujkashevic’s experience within her various roles at Ford will be invaluable for Apple, as the car is said to feature Level 4 (or in some cases Level 5) self-driving ability that “doesn’t require human intervention.”
But the tech company has also said that it may roll out the vehicle with a limited suite of semi-autonomous driving features if the technology isn’t ready yet, which will look similar to many new cars in today’s market.
With other tech companies, such as Sony, joining the EV party, it’s even more important for Apple to get the ball rolling on this project. Ujkashevic will join other auto industry executives from companies such as BMW, Tesla, and Waymo, so it looks as though the Apple car might come to light after all.
Keyword: Apple poaches long serving Ford exec for Apple Car development