Apple appoints Tesla autopilot software director for its self-driving car initiative
Saturday, November 6, 2021 | Chimniii Desk
Key Highlight
- The iPhone manufacturer selected Christopher "CJ" "Moore for its self-driving car team, according to people familiar with the situation.
- Moore is responsible for the project's software and reports to Stuart Bowers, another former Tesla employee who joined Apple last year.
- Moore responded that Musk's comments did not "conform to engineering reality." "
- Moore was recently named as a witness in a lawsuit made by the estate of a Florida man who died in a 2019 crash while using Autopilot.
- Moore resigned from Tesla in October, according to court records.
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Apple Inc. has bolstered its car-development efforts by hiring a former Tesla Inc. engineer who sparked outrage earlier this year with statements criticising Tesla's Autopilot technology.
The iPhone manufacturer selected Christopher "CJ" "Moore for its self-driving car team, according to people familiar with the situation. Moore is responsible for the project's software and reports to Stuart Bowers, another former Tesla employee who joined Apple last year. Bowers oversaw Tesla's Autopilot unit until mid-2019.
Apple's move indicates that the company is pressing ahead with efforts to build self-driving technology, a high-stakes competition against automakers like as Tesla. Moore is entering a section renowned for its secrecy – Apple has never disclosed its automobile ambitions publicly – and high turnover. The head of Apple's Titan car project left the company earlier this year to manage Ford Motor Co.'s technology initiatives.
Apple, based in Cupertino, California, did not respond to a request for comment.
Moore indicated that Tesla CEO Elon Musk exaggerated the capabilities of the Autopilot programme. Moore was interviewed earlier this year as part of the California Department of Motor Vehicles' examination into the self-driving software. Moore was questioned by the department about Musk's claim that Tesla would be capable of completely autonomous driving by the end of this year.
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Moore responded that Musk's comments did not "conform to engineering reality." "according to a summary of the meeting in a DMV letter. For several years, Musk has stated that he believes Tesla is on the verge of deploying so-called Level 5 autonomy features, which would enable cars to run alone. The present system, dubbed Level 2, requires drivers to maintain a firm grip on the steering wheel.
Moore was recently named as a witness in a lawsuit made by the estate of a Florida man who died in a 2019 crash while using Autopilot. Moore resigned from Tesla in October, according to court records.
Apple recently replaced Doug Field, the project's former head, with Kevin Lynch, who oversaw Apple Watch software engineering from the product's beginnings. Additionally, it has employed several other prominent figures from the automotive industry, including Urlich Kranz, the former CEO of autonomous vehicle startup Canoo.
Other ex-Tesla execs are on the Apple team, including Michael Schwekutsch, the company's former head of drive trains, and Steve MacManus, the company's former head of interiors. Simultaneously, the group lost several managers. Along with Field, this year's departures include Dave Scott, head of robotics, and Jaime Waydo, chief of safety. Dave Rosenthal, another former manager for the initiative, recently left Apple after previously leaving the project.
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