I’m sorry, did you guys think all the speculation surrounding the “Apple Car” was over? Well think again, because Apple’s recent decision to hire a prominent figure in the automotive industry has reignited the hype and speculation regarding the electric vehicle that Apple is reportedly working on. Having worked at Fiat Chrysler before joining Apple, Doug Betts is only the most recent in a series of automotive industry workers being hired by Apple.
Apple Inc. is recruiting experts from the auto industry, a signal that its efforts to develop an electric car could be gaining ground. Doug Betts, who led global quality at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV until last year, is now working for the Cupertino, Calif.-based electronics giant but declined to comment on the position when reached Monday. Mr. Betts’ LinkedIn profile says he joined Apple in July and describes his title as “Operations-Apple Inc.” with a location in the San Francisco Bay Area but no further specifics. Apple declined to comment on the new hire. It’s not immediately clear whether he is part of the company’s car initiative or if he will work on an existing product line. Along with Mr. Betts, whose expertise points to a desire to know how to build a car, Apple recently recruited one of the leading autonomous-vehicle researchers in Europe and is building a team to work on those systems.