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Apple ( AAPL ) reportedly has hired Chris Porritt, former Tesla Motors ( TSLA ) vice president of vehicle engineering and former Aston Martin chief engineer, to work on its Project Titan electric car venture. Electric vehicle news website Electrek reported the hire on Tuesday. It said Porritt is “a likely candidate to lead (Apple’s) electric car initiative.” This year, Steve Zadesky, the 16-year Apple veteran leading the car project, departed the company. Senior executives were not satisfied with the direction and progress of the project, according to news reports. At Tesla, Porritt reportedly worked on the Model S and X platforms, as well as the Model 3 chassis, Electrek said. At Aston Martin, Porritt was credited with making some of the company’s most iconic vehicles in recent years, including the One-77 supercar, V12 Zagato and Aston Martin DB9, Electrek said. Apple is targeting a 2019 release for the car, according to media reports. An estimated 1,000 people are believed to be working on an Apple car at a complex in Sunnyvale, Calif., under the name SixtyEight Research, Motor Trend reported last week . Apple has been poaching engineers from Tesla, Ford Motor ( F ) and Mercedes-Benz. On Monday, a German newspaper reported that Apple is developing the Apple car in a secret lab in Berlin. It is working alongside potential partner Magna Steyr, the world’s largest contract automaker, Frankfurter Allgemeine reported. Apple might be planning to build the vehicle in Vienna, Austria, by teaming up with Magna, Business Insider said . RELATED: Middle-Aged Apple Might Get A Sports Car, New Girlfriend Scalper1 News
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