For all the excitement surrounding the potential Apple car project, it has left much destruction in its wake. That is, if the former employees of now-defunct electric motorcycle-maker Mission Motors is to be believed.
While the reported Project Titan -- the program allegedly overseeing the development of an Apple car -- grows, it absorbs more and more automotive industry talent. For companies like Mercedes-Benz, losing some top engineers isn't more than a slight setback. For an upstart like San Francisco-based Mission Motors, which closed up shop for good in May, it's downright devastating.
According to a Reuters report , former CEO of Mission Motors Derek Kaufman believes Apple's eagerness to attract electric powertrain engineers from the upstart killed the company's ability to innovate and compete.
"Mission had a great group of engineers, specifically electric drive expertise," Kaufman told Reuters. "Apple knew that - they wanted it, and they went and got it."
This isn't the only company ravaged by Apple's talent grab. Battery-maker A123 Systems sued Apple in February for hiring away some of its lead engineers. Even Elon Musk recently claimed that employees he fired all wind up at Apple -- presumably under Project Titan.
If naysayers haven't already been convinced by recent rumors and reports surrounding the Apple car project, the ever-increasing evidence of Apple's intention to make its very own EV is becoming too big to ignore. Heck, Apple CEO Tim Cook said Monday that a "massive change" is coming to the car industry. And as Apple snatches up more and more EV talent, it's beginning to become clear that something seriously car-related is happening at Apple.