Apple is bolstering its automotive ambitions by engaging a former BMW boss who recently ran an electric start-up.
Ulrich Kranz now works for Apple, and the iPhone group confirmed Friday night to tech blogs “The Verge” and “TechCrunch,” without giving any further details. According to information from the financial service Bloomberg, Kranz will work at Apple on the team of former Tesla boss Doug Field, who is leading an automotive project.
At BMW, Kranz was one of the developers of the i3 electric car and the i8 sports car. Then it was initially with electric car-Startup Faraday Future, then co-founder of Canoo. Until April he was the chief of Kano. Bloomberg wrote that Apple brought him on board a few weeks later.
For years, Apple has been developing technology for self-driving and testing Toyota’s luxury SUV-branded Lexus that has been turned into robotic vehicles on public roads. At the beginning of the car project, which lasted more than five years, Apple also offered prototypes to suppliers, but then it was mainly oriented towards software.
In the past few months, speculation has reigned about the Apple car, which has been boiling for years. Above all, media reports spoke of cooperation with the South Korean Hyundai Group and its Kia brand. Then Hyundai announced that there are currently no talks with Apple about developing self-driving cars.
On Friday, Apple shares were 0.98 percent flatter at $127.35 than NASDAQ trading.
/ so / DP / zb
Cupertino (dpa-AFX)
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