Senior Tesla designer Andrew Kim has left his role at the automotive company to join Apple (via The Verge). Kim is the the latest in a long line of Tesla employees who have left the company for Apple, including Tesla lead engineer Doug Field's return to Apple this past August.

applecar
Kim's work history includes user interface design at Microsoft, contributions to HoloLens and Xbox One S, and designs for Tesla's Model 3, S, X, and Y. His LinkedIn profile confirms his move to Apple this month, but doesn't specify what he'll be doing at the company outside of being a "Designer." Due to his history, it could be work on Apple's rumored AR glasses, Project Titan, or something else entirely.

Project Titan is Apple's long-rumored vehicle project, which is believed to have originated in 2014 and could see a consumer Apple Car available between 2023 and 2025, according to Ming-Chi Kuo. This estimate came from a report in August, but previous rumors suggested that focus on Project Titan has shifted to autonomous driving software for cars instead of a vehicle specifically designed by Apple.

Kuo's report and news about Apple's hiring of Tesla employees -- now including Kim -- have reignited the speculation that Apple could again be planning to build its own vehicle. If accurate, the future Apple Car would have Apple's autonomous driving software built inside of a car designed by the Cupertino company.

Related Roundups: Apple Car, AR/VR Headset

Top Rated Comments

Kabeyun Avatar
56 months ago
Ok, as long as they don't rely on Siri for any AI needs ...
Here’s what I found on the Web for “Ok, as long as they don't rely on Siri for any AI needs ...”
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tapiture Avatar
56 months ago
How much would an Apple car cost, 1 million the base model?
Starts at $59,000 for 16 GB of storage, but each year it increases by $5,000
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
56 months ago
Hmm I thought Apple might buy Tesla but maybe they’ll just do their own electric car instead. Cook has previously said Apple was working on software for cars and not the car itself, although all of the Tesla hires might signal otherwise.
Apple is one of the few companies in the world that has the resources to buy Tesla. Tesla would suddenly have all the capital needed to immediately start construction on 10+ factories, finish them in 3 years, and achieve much higher economies of scale, allowing them to dramatically lower prices.

It would give Apple something to spend their money on.

I think the biggest issue would be a clash of cultures. Musk is very open and risk-tolerant. He gets an idea, tweets it, then pulls people in to implement his tweet. His thought is he can move much quicker if he's not handicapping stuff with secrecy or getting hung up on details and technicalities - it's much better to go back and fix the 1% you missed after the fact rather than tease out every detail of a plan before you do anything. Product changes are done immediately, software updates are often daily (sometimes things are a bit slower and maybe you go 10 days without an update.)

Apple is pretty much the opposite. They keep everything in secret. They win races not by moving quickly, but by not letting anyone know a race is happening. They plan everything out in advance. Product updates happen once a year or less. Software updates are once a month or less.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
netdudeuk Avatar
56 months ago
Ok, as long as they don't rely on Siri for any AI needs ...
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 15 Pro Mock Feature Buttonless

iPhone 15 Pro Max to 'Break Record' for Thinnest Bezels on a Smartphone

Friday March 17, 2023 2:59 am PDT by
The iPhone 15 Pro Max will have the thinnest bezels of any smartphone, beating the record currently held by the Xiaomi 13. That's according to the leaker known as "Ice Universe," who has divulged accurate information about Apple's plans in the past. Both iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to have thinner, curved bezels compared to the iPhone 14 Pro, potentially resulting in an Apple...
iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro Feature

iPhone 12 Pro vs. 15 Pro: New Features to Expect if You've Waited to Upgrade

Friday March 17, 2023 10:29 am PDT by
While year-over-year iPhone upgrades are not always groundbreaking, new features can begin to stack up over multiple generations. For example, the iPhone 15 Pro will be a notable upgrade for those who still have a three-year-old iPhone 12 Pro. If you are still using an iPhone 12 Pro and are considering upgrading to the iPhone 15 Pro when it launches later this year, we have put together a...
iphone 14 pro max deep purple feature purple

iPhone 15 Pro Launching This Year With These 11 New Features

Monday March 13, 2023 6:47 am PDT by
While the iPhone 15 lineup is around six months away, there have already been plenty of rumors about the devices. Many new features and changes are expected for the iPhone 15 Pro models in particular, including a titanium frame and more. Below, we have recapped 11 features rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models that are not expected to be available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus:A17...
top stories 18mar2023

Top Stories: iPhone 15 Pro Pricing, New iOS 16.4 Beta, Siri vs. ChatGPT, and More

Saturday March 18, 2023 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's high-end iPhone models have started at $999 in the U.S. since they first launched back in 2017 with the iPhone X, but could this finally be the year that starting price sees an increase? This week also saw some more rumors about Apple's upcoming headset and the company's explorations in the booming AI industry as well as the release of a new round of beta updates, so read on for all...
iphone 14 pro max deep purple feature purple

iPhone 15 Pro Predicted to See First Price Increase Since iPhone X

Wednesday March 15, 2023 7:49 am PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will likely be more expensive than previous Pro models, according to Jeff Pu, a tech analyst at Hong Kong-based investment firm Haitong International Securities. In a research note this week, Pu predicted the iPhone 15 Pro models will see a price increase due to several rumored hardware upgrades, including a titanium frame,...
original iphone auction

Factory-Sealed Original iPhone Sells for $55,000 at Auction

Friday March 17, 2023 1:08 pm PDT by
A first-generation iPhone still sealed inside its box sold for $54,904 at auction, which is more than $54,000 over the original $599 price tag of the device when it was released in 2007. The original iPhone was put up for sale by RR Auction on behalf of a former Apple employee who purchased it back when it first came out. Back in February, an original, sealed iPhone sold for over $63,000,...