What you need to know
- Apple has hired a former Ford safety chief for its Apple Car project.
- Desi Ujkashevic worked at Ford since 1999.
- Apple has long been rumored to be working on an eclectic car of some kind.
The Apple Car project has reportedly hired a former Ford safety expert to help get the electric vehicle onto the road.
A new Bloomberg report claims that the Apple Car team has added Desi Ujkashevic to the mix. Ujkashevic originally joined Ford way back in 1991 and was previously the company's global director of automotive safety engineering. The report says that their previous role was also one that could prove beneficial to a future Apple Car — they were in charge of the "engineering of interiors, exteriors, chassis and electrical components for many Ford models."
Apple has long been rumored to have designs on building some sort of battery-powered car, although the project has seen highs and lows. We've heard of stories of key engineers leaving the project, while it's been known to go through project leads like Tim Cook goes through Apple Watch bands. Now, however, it appears more positive news is at hand.
It still isn't entirely clear what the Apple Car project really is, however. Previous rumors had Apple keen to ship a fully-fledged car of its own, while others had it working on self-driving technology that would be sold to traditional carmakers. However, recent reports suggested the company was looking for suppliers of key components that would be required to build an electric vehicle. The arrival of a safety guru would also suggest a car is being worked on rather than tech that would go into someone else's vehicles.
As for when an Apple Car could go on sale, nobody really knows. Some have pondered that a 2025 launch is possible, although that could yet be revised to a date that's further down the road.
