Getty Images/Michael Kovac
Jony Ive, Apple's lead designer
Tim Bradshaw and Andy Sharman at The Financial Times are reporting the following:
Apple is recruiting experts in automotive technology and vehicle design to work at a new top-secret research lab, according to several people familiar with the company, pointing to ambitions that go beyond the dashboard.
Dozens of Apple employees, led by experienced managers from its iPhone unit, are researching automotive products at a confidential Silicon Valley location outside the company's Cupertino campus, the people said.
Sir Jonathan Ive's team of Apple designers has held regular meetings with automotive executives and creators in recent months, in some cases trying to hire them. Recent recruits to Apple's team include the head of Mercedes-Benz's Silicon Valley R&D unit.
This is just the latest report to bolster the idea that Apple is developing its own car. Here's a quick recap of the story to date:
In early February, an umarked minivan was spotted driving around with a weird camera on it. It was traced back to Apple. People thought it could be a test of self driving car technology, or it could be a camera to capture street images for Apple Maps.
A short while after that, an Apple employee emailed us unexpectedly to say, "Apple's latest project is too exciting to pass up. I think it will change the landscape and give Tesla a run for its money." We weren't sure if this person was talking about something that would just be for in-car entertainment, or a full-on car.
Next, Bryan Chaffin at The Mac Observer reported that his sources said Apple was working on a car. He said, "What I learned is that Apple has been looking for-and acquiring-the kind of people from Tesla with expertise that is most suited to cars. So much so that I went from being a doubter to a believer almost instantly."