Electric carmaker Tesla Motors has hired a key Apple software engineer to oversee its Autopilot self-driving software efforts, Tesla said in a blog post Tuesday.
Chris Lattner, who served at Apple for more than a decade, said in a online message to Apple developers on Tuesday morning that he would “leave Apple later this month to pursue an opportunity in another space” without saying which company he planned to join.
Later in the day, Tesla posted a message on the company’s website saying that Lattner had been hired as vice president of Autopilot software but did not say when he would start work there. Tesla declined to comment beyond the announcement. Apple confirmed the departure but would not comment beyond Lattner’s posted message.
The move is a significant win for Tesla, bringing a high-profile figure in the world of software development for a position that previously did not have a full-time leader.
