Apple car chief’s departure puts its next big thing in doubt

Another Apple executive has left its self-driving car project, his abrupt exit raising questions about the progress Apple is making on the automative front. — AFP

The abrupt departure of Apple Inc.’s top automotive executive imperils its efforts to develop a self-driving car, a project that’s been seen as one of the tech giant’s biggest bets.

Doug Field, a Tesla Inc. veteran who joined Apple in 2018 to head up its car project, left Tuesday to become Ford Motor Co.’s chief advanced technology officer. The announcement, which came after Bloomberg first reported the news, made only passing reference to Field’s work at Apple.