We still don’t know how far along the Apple Car development is, despite old rumors that the vehicle might launch as early as 2025. But it doesn’t look like work will be winding down anytime soon, now that Apple has enlisted a key Lamborghini executive for the project.
According to sources speaking to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has just hired Luigi Taraborrelli — a 20-year veteran of Lamborghini and was most recently the head of chassis and vehicle dynamics. Apparently his role at Apple will be shaping the design of the Apple Car.
Taraborrelli has worked on a variety of cars in his time at Lamborghini, including the Urus, Huracan and Aventador. His role had him oversee development of the automaker’s chassis development, including related components like handling, suspension, steering brakes and rims.
All of which are pretty essential components in any car, even if the Apple Car is rumored to come without the ability for a human driver to take control.
While it’s still not clear where Apple is in the development of the Apple Car, hiring Taraborrelli shows Apple is still committed to making its auto ambitions a reality. That’s despite all the setbacks the project has had over the past several months.
Project head Doug Field defected to Ford last October, with Apple reportedly putting Kevin Lynch in charge of Apple Car development. Lynch is currently vice president of technology, and has overseen various software development projects — notably the software for the Apple Watch.
Field is not the only key figure to leave the Apple Car project, but he is the most high-profile to happen in recent years. The project itself has reportedly had ongoing issues with leadership turnover, changes in strategy and staff layoffs.
That’s on top of the legal and technological hurdles that stand in the way of getting a truly autonomous car on the road. Assuming Apple still wants to hit the ground running, and skip over vehicles with limited autonomy — like the systems you’d find in a car from Tesla or GM.
Bringing Taraborrelli on board isn’t the only high-profile hire Apple has made recently, but it does show that Apple has an eye for talent. Plus bringing on a key figure from a luxury automaker like Lamborghini suggests Apple is likely sticking with the premium aesthetic all its other products are known for.
The only question we have is when is Apple actually going to start talking about the Apple Car? The company is infamous for keeping new product details close to its vest, and so far the Apple Car has been no exception.
The truth is we probably won’t hear anything until the car is ready to launch, and that means waiting until at least some point in 2025. But considering the Apple Car’s already-lengthy development time, I wouldn’t be surprised if we had to wait a little longer. But hey, if and when the Apple Car does arrive it should be a sight to behold.
