Group of 17 Apple Auto Engineers Join Startup Zoox
- Startup grabs specialists in areas like braking, suspension
- Apple working on self-driving systems rather than its own car
The Apple Inc. flagship store at Union Square in San Francisco, Calif.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
A group of automotive engineers has left Apple Inc. for self-driving car startup Zoox Inc. after the world’s most valuable technology company backed off plans to build its own vehicle, according to people familiar with the situation.
The 17 engineers specialize in designing elements present in both traditional and autonomous vehicles, such as braking and suspension systems, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the moves aren’t public. Many of them originally joined Apple from Detroit carmakers and suppliers. A Zoox representative declined to comment. An Apple spokesman declined to comment.