Senior Tesla designer Andrew Kim has left his role at the automotive company to join Apple (via The Verge). Kim is the the latest in a long line of Tesla employees who have left the company for Apple, including Tesla lead engineer Doug Field's return to Apple this past August.
Kim's work history includes user interface design at Microsoft, contributions to HoloLens and Xbox One S, and designs for Tesla's Model 3, S, X, and Y. His LinkedIn profile confirms his move to Apple this month, but doesn't specify what he'll be doing at the company outside of being a "Designer." Due to his history, it could be work on Apple's rumored AR glasses, Project Titan, or something else entirely.
Project Titan is Apple's long-rumored vehicle project, which is believed to have originated in 2014 and could see a consumer Apple Car available between 2023 and 2025, according to Ming-Chi Kuo. This estimate came from a report in August, but previous rumors suggested that focus on Project Titan has shifted to autonomous driving software for cars instead of a vehicle specifically designed by Apple.
Kuo's report and news about Apple's hiring of Tesla employees -- now including Kim -- have reignited the speculation that Apple could again be planning to build its own vehicle. If accurate, the future Apple Car would have Apple's autonomous driving software built inside of a car designed by the Cupertino company.
