Apple is making strides toward the development of its self-driving vehicles, as it has reportedly hired Luigi Taraborrelli as a senior manager on its electric vehicle team.
Taraborrelli had a 20-year career with Lamborghini, where he gained experience working on vehicle models like the Urus, Huracan and Aventador, Bloomberg reported Wednesday (July 27).
He also worked on limited models like the Huracan Sterrato off-road vehicle and the Asterion concept cars, and worked on chassis development, handling, suspensions, steering, brakes and rims. At Apple, his job will include helping the company design a self-driving vehicle, according to unnamed sources who spoke with Bloomberg.
Apple didn’t reply to a request for comment from PYMNTS.
The company has faced numerous setbacks and delays in the development of a self-driving vehicle, but the report noted that it is looking at possibly debuting a car around 2025. The car might feature a design that allows riders to face one another in a “limousine-like” interior.
The idea is to make a car without a steering wheel or pedals, which will rely fully on automation, but many industry watchers are unsure if this is possible.
Taraborrelli’s hire come just months after Apple hired 31-year Ford veteran Desi Ujkashevic to lead its vehicle safety efforts. At Ford, he was in charge of teams working on safety efforts and vehicle engineering, and had worked there since 1991.
Read more: Apple Snaps Up Former Ford Exec to Power Self-Driving EV Car Initiative
Last year, Apple also hired Ulrich Kranz, the ex-chief of Canoo, an electric-car maker that had run into troubles, along with former engineers from Tesla and other companies.
The company’s difficulties in the recent past have included the departure of Doug Field, an executive who left for Ford in 2021. He had been in charge of the self-driving vehicle efforts for three years before that.
Kevin Lynch, the head of Apple Watch and health software, was put in charge of the car project after Ford’s departure.
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