Apple Fuels Car Project Rumors By Hiring Ex-FCA Executive

In a possible signal that its efforts to develop an electric car are increasing, Apple has hired one of the auto industry’s veteran manufacturing executives, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. The company hired Doug Betts, who previously served as the senior vice president of the Chrysler Group, now Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), where he was the global head of operations leading product service and quality. He previously held similar quality assurance positions at Japanese auto giants Nissan and Toyota.

According to Betts’ LinkedIn page, he started working at Apple in July. Other than the mention of a role in “Operations” in the San Francisco Bay Area, there are no details about what he’s doing at the company. Interestingly, FCA chief Sergio Marchionne was in California in May to discuss Apple’s “intervention in the car” with CEO Tim Cook. Although it remains unclear what was discussed, FCA’s subsidiaries account for 20 percent of all manufacturers that currently support CarPlay.

Apple is rumored to be working on an electric vehicle, dubbed Project Titan, which could feature advanced functionality such as autonomous driving features that are not currently available in mainstream cars. Certainly, the hiring of Doug Betts adds fuel to the speculation surrounding the so-called “Apple Car.” In June, however, reports claimed that the project had become a drain on talent, with personnel reassignments taking a toll on other departments.

In March, AppleInsider reported the existence of an off-site Apple operations complex that it speculated was related to Project Titan. The complex included a group of buildings leased by Apple that contained car-related amenities, such as a garage, repair bays and various research and development facilities. Although the actual nature of Apple’s secret campus is unknown, one possibility is that it serves as a regional basecamp for the company’s mapping van initiative.

Other evidence of Apple’s supposed interest in electric vehicles includes a handful of hires from battery technology company A123. The small company filed a lawsuit against Apple earlier this year, with allegations of illegal poaching of its top researchers that were involved in high-performance, large format battery products.

The Wall Street Journal’s report also suggests that Apple recently recruited Paul Furgale, a researcher with a specialization in autonomous vehicles, to join its team of employees that are working on its car project. The company is said to be seeking out other experts with robotics and machine experience, with Furgale recruiting both students and researchers.

Although Apple’s electric car project may only exist in rumors, as the evidence mounts, an increasing number of auto industry experts are joining in the speculation. It’s an interesting story that we’ll continue to follow as it progresses.