Apple's latest Project Titan hires include staff from diverse automotive backgrounds

In recent weeks Apple has continued to hire more people likely working on Project Titan, its secretive automotive effort, profiles discovered on LinkedIn suggest.

One recruit was Hal Ockerse, now with an unspecified software engineering team, MacRumors noted. Previously Ockerse was with Tesla, where he worked on hardware architecture and advanced driver assistance system components such as camera, LiDAR, and engine control units. He also worked on similar technology for 11 years at a company called Gentex.

Subhagato Dutta, a new "technologist" at Apple, formerly worked on an automotive algorithm and imaging algorithm development team at Texas Instruments.

A third person, Yakshu Madaan, has been hired as a technical program manager. His resume includes time as an operations manager at India's Tata Motors, and he also helped develop fuel injection concepts as a research assistant at the Indian Institute of Technology and UBC.

Apple has been hiring many people with automotive experience throughout 2015, with Tesla apparently being a major recruiting target. Last month Apple picked up one of Tesla's top engineers, Jamie Carlson.

In March AppleInsider discovered that at least part of Titan's development is underway at a secret facility in Sunnyvale, Calif., specially equipped for automotive work.

Apple is typically believed to be developing an electric car, but recent reports have introduced evidence that it might also be self-driving. In August, it was confirmed that Apple discussed using a third-party facility known for testing self-driving vehicles.

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24 Comments

wonkothesane

said about 8 years ago

"is typically believed"? by whom? And, no, there is no evidence for a full, self-driving car yet. There is evidence of Apple working on minimum car-systems, likely involving a high degree of automation.

chasm

said about 8 years ago

"typically believed" by the gullible. Which is exactly how Apple likes it.

ireland

said about 8 years ago

Good God, people, we've been through this before. You don't need hundreds of hardware and software vehicle engineers to work on CarPlay and car manufactures wouldn't give up control over their dashboard to anyone—especially Apple. I'd say Apple pitched this idea to some of them several years back and they said 'no chance'. And I'd bet the straw that broken the camel's back was a couple years back when Tesla told them they wouldn't put CarPlay near their cars.

Apple are working on an electric car.

It's really rather obvious. Open your eyes, ears and your minds. Apple sees the opportunity here, cars are making the transition to 'smart', electric is snowballing and plays to Apple's ideals, cars are all about design, and most cars even very good brands are badly designed. And Apple are dropping hints left, right and centre and denying nothing. Jeff Williams, Apple's head of operations even when as far as to call cars 'the ultimate mobile device'.

HINT HINT!

Every time Apple enters a new area there are naysayers.

Music player = can't be true

Phone = can't be true

Tablet = can't be true

Watch = can't be true

Car = can't be true

The stars are aligning and it should be very interesting. Apple likes to move fast. I'd say if the car projects picks up steam and importance within the company it will move faster. Wouldn't shock me at all to see an Apple car before 2020.

The questions that remain or not whether or not Apple has ambitions in the area of in-house vehicle production, but who do they partner with to physically build the car, what range does the battery get, how long does it take to charge, what stuff comes with the car to install to efficiently charge the car at your home and who installs it, how do you charge on journeys (is that secret Tesla deal about Apple customers using Tesla's charging stations?) and how is the car sold?

I'm thinking Apple marketing does something crazy like when the car is for sale they put one—just one—in the window or their flagship stores at a weird angle balancing magically on one wheel for all to see. And they initially offer the car for sale on their website only or offer $99 test-drives you book on Apple.com where a specialist from Apple comes to your home with an Apple car and takes you through the whole Apple car use and ownership experience and ends the day by letting you drive the car. People would pay $99 for that, and I'd say a number of them if the car was remotely affordable would buy one for the Apple name alone.

Reviews would be most people's test drive.

The car is not merely the ultimate mobile device, but the last piece of the puzzle for Apple after television where Apple would basically have complete control over a person's experience of technology. Gaming, Communication, entertainment, music, Movies, TV shows, computers and mobile devices, cell phones, home automation and personal transport. The whole banana. And it all works together.

Try leave that ecosystem.

22july2013

said about 8 years ago

What I see in the car market is resistance to letting Apple "take control" of the cockpit. They will never allow their car doors to be opened with a voice saying "I am Siri. Where would you like to go?" No doubt Apple senses this too, and for that reason has probably decided to make its own car. When that day comes, car companies will be begging Apple for "CarPlay Pro", and if Apple car is successful, they may not get it. So by refusing to become "suppliers" to an Apple-branded car, increasing sales by 3 times, or even giving Apple a fair shake in the cockpit, increasing sales by 2 times, they are going to keep their brand names but lose 50% of their sales if they are lucky. All this is fine. It's why Apple is now such a huge company.

rogifan

said about 8 years ago

[quote name="Ireland" url="/t/187973/apples-latest-project-titan-hires-include-staff-from-diverse-automotive-backgrounds#post_2769236"]Good God, people, we've been through this before. You don't need hundreds of hardware and software vehicle engineers to work on CarPlay and car manufactures wouldn't give up control over their dashboard to anyone—especially Apple. I'd say Apple pitched this idea to some of them several years back and they said 'no chance'. And I'd bet the straw that broken the camel's back was a couple years back when Tesla told them they wouldn't put CarPlay near their cars. Apple are working on an electric car. It's really rather obvious. Open your eyes, ears and your minds. Apple sees the opportunity here, cars are making the transition to 'smart', electric is snowballing and plays to Apple's ideals, cars are all about design, and most cars even very good brands are badly designed. And Apple are dropping hints left, right and centre and denying nothing. Jeff Williams, Apple's head of operations even when as far as to call cars 'the ultimate mobile device'. HINT HINT! Every time Apple enters a new area there are naysayers. Music player = can't [COLOR=000000]be[/COLOR] true [COLOR=000000]Phone = can't be true[/COLOR] [COLOR=000000]Tablet = can't be true[/COLOR] [COLOR=000000]Watch = can't be true[/COLOR] [COLOR=000000]Car = can't be true[/COLOR] The stars are aligning and it should be very interesting. Apple likes to move fast. I'd say if the car projects picks up steam and importance within the company it will move faster. Wouldn't shock me at all to see an Apple car before 2020. [/quote] Exactly. And one of Apple's recent hires updated her LinkedIn profile to this: [IMG]http://i58.tinypic.com/5x945l.jpg[/IMG] I don't think Apple's industrial designers would be involved if this was just CarPlay on steroids. Plus when Jony Ive got promoted to Chief Design Officer Tim Cook told employees Ive would be involved in new ideas and initiatives. That tells me he gave up his day to day duties so he could focus more on Project Titan.