Earlier this week it was reported that Apple had lured Bob Mansfield, former senior vice president, Technologies, out of retirement to head the “Apple Car” project (dubbed “Project Titan”). Now Bloomberg reports that software architect Dan Dodge, co-founder and once CEO of BlackBerry division QNX, has joined the company to work on a team led by Mansfield.
Apple is emphasizing a focus on an autonomous driving system, though it’s not ruled out developing its own vehicle, the article adds. That leaves options open should the company eventually decide to partner with or acquire an established car maker instead of building a car itself.
Engineers working on a vehicle design reportedly number in the hundreds, says Bloomberg. The article says that Apple has originally eyed a 2020 release date for its car project, but that it’s been delayed by “multiple departures, technical delays and confusion regarding the direction of the project.”
Dodge is the co-creator of the QNX CAR Platform for Infotainment, a set of pre-integrated and optimized technologies from QNX Software Systems and dozens of ecosystem partners. Designed for flexibility, it “provides development teams with a variety of options for building reliable world-class infotainment systems that keep pace with ongoing advancements in mobile device markets.”
