Apple Car release date: Will it be pushed farther into the future as project loses head of sensors development?

Apple’s secretive “Project Titan” loses one of its leaders after moving to a new career opportunity. It then begs the question of how this crucial change could affect the development timeline for the company’s first electric car.

Apple loses key figure in ‘Project Titan’

Astra, a space services company, announced on Wednesday that it has recruited Benjamin Lyon as its new chief engineer. Bloomberg then connected the dots recalling that Lyon was one of the “longest-serving leaders” for the Apple Car project. The announcement meant that Project Titan would be going through another change in leadership, something that has happened several times since the development commenced in 2014.

The same report noted that Lyon’s last role for the making of Apple Car was to lead the team developing its sensors and that he was one of the project managers reporting directly to Apple VP Doug Field. The Cupertino, California-based tech giant has not officially commented on Lyon’s departure, and it is unlikely to do so. Apple has been tight-lipped about the Apple Car project even though it has been mentioned in many reports over the last few years.

This could also explain why Lyon did not make any reference to Apple in his official comments about his new job. “Astra presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to apply my experience designing and manufacturing beautiful products to ignite a new wave of innovation in the space industry,” Lyon said in a statement.

Apple Car rumored release date and features

It is difficult to determine exactly how Lyon’s career move will affect the Apple Car development, and whether it would significantly push the electric vehicle’s launch farther into the future. Regardless, recent reports from inside sources have mentioned that the Apple Car is unlikely to launch anytime soon.

Last December, renowned industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested that the Apple Car might not hit the road until 2028. In the same Bloomberg report, the vehicle’s release window is also not expected until “later this decade.”

Other recent reports suggest that Apple has been looking at other established automobile makers for a possible partnership in delivering its ambitious electric car venture. Claims that the company has yet to finalize the vehicle’s specs are another indication that the Apple Car is not ready for release in the near future. But one rumored consideration for the electric car to equip it with several LiDAR sensors and to develop a “monocell” battery to achieve a longer range.

Featured photo by Medhat Dawoud on Unsplash