Report: Apple Taps Company Veteran to Lead Car Program

Bob Mansfield is taking over Apple Inc.’s secretive Project Titan autonomous electric car program, The Wall Street Journal reports.

All senior managers on the project are now listed in the company directory as reporting to Mansfield, unnamed Apple employees tell the Journal. Apple, which has never confirmed the project, declined to comment.

Mansfield joined Apple in 1999 as part of the company’s acquisition of Raycer Graphics, where he headed the engineering department. Known as a disciplined analytical thinker and problem solver, Mansfield is credited with leading the microprocessor development for high-profile products such as the iPad tablet, iMac computer and MacBook Air laptop.

After a brief stint as senior vice president of technologies, Mansfield has been semi-retired and serving as a special consultant reporting to CEO Tim Cook since late 2012. His experience and leadership are expected to help refocus Project Titan, which is said to be plagued by problems, including clashes between long-time Apple veterans and automotive experts hired for the program. The strife has pushed back the planned launch of the so-called iCar from 2019 to 2021, according to a report last week by The Information, an online publication that covers the technology industry.

Steve Zadesky, who helped launch Project Titan two years ago, left the company in January. But Apple reportedly has hired several new executives and engineers in recent months to work on the program, including a former engineering vice president from Tesla and a group of 20 experts in Germany.