Apple Hires Former Tesla Powertrain Chief
Apple Inc. has hired Michael Schwekutsch, who left Tesla Inc. last month, as senior director of engineering for the company’s secretive Project Titan autonomous car program.
Apple Inc. has hired Michael Schwekutsch, who left Tesla Inc. last month, as senior director of engineering for the company’s secretive Project Titan autonomous car program.

Schwekutsch is the latest senior Tesla manager to move to Apple. The list includes designer Andrew Kim, who joined Apple in December, and engineering executives Doug Field and Jaime Waydo.
Tesla hired Schwekutsch in 2015 to lead the EV maker’s powertrain development team. He previously worked for BorgWarner, GKN Driveline and Getrag.
Schwekutsch’s arrival supports reports that the scope of Apple’s Titan program has broadened again. In 2016, the team reportedly switched from creating an entire self-driving car to developing control software for such vehicles. And earlier this year Apple confirmed it was transferring about one-sixth of the Titan team to other projects.
But the company also began testing prototype self-driving vans. Apple submitted a voluntary report in February about the tests to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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