蘋果或在考慮開發電動車

Apple is recruiting experts in automotive technology and vehicle design to work at a new top-secret research lab, said several people familiar with the company, pointing to ambitions that go beyond the dashboard.

幾名知情人士表示，蘋果(Apple)正在招募汽車技術和設計方面的專家，爲一個新設的絕密研究實驗室工作。此舉顯示出蘋果在其現有業務之外的野心。

Dozens of Apple employees, led by experienced managers from its iPhone unit, are researching automotive products at a confidential Silicon Valley location outside the company’s Cupertino campus, the people said.

知情人士表示，數十名蘋果員工在來自其iPhone部門、富有經驗的管理人員的帶領下，正在硅谷該公司庫比提諾(Cupertino)園區外的一個祕密場所，開展汽車產品的研究。

Sir Jonathan Ive’s team of Apple designers has held regular meetings with automotive executives and engineers in recent months, in some cases trying to hire them. Recent recruits to Apple’s team include the head of Mercedes-Benz’s Silicon Valley R&D unit.

最近幾個月，喬納森•艾夫爵士(Sir Jonathan Ive)的蘋果設計團隊一直在定期會見汽車領域的主管和工程師，有幾次還試圖聘用這些人員。蘋果近期招募的人員，包括了梅賽德斯-奔馳(Mercedes-Benz)硅谷研發部門的主管。

One person close to Apple said that Steve Zadesky, a 16-year Apple veteran who led teams developing the original iPod and iPhone, was leading Apple’s automotive research lab.

一名與蘋果關係密切的人士表示，史蒂夫•扎德斯基(Steve Zadesky)正在領導蘋果的汽車研究實驗室。扎德斯基在蘋果工作了16年之久，曾領導過iPod和iPhone最初版本的開發團隊。

The lab was set up late last year, not long after Apple unveiled its forthcoming smart watch and latest iPhones, which suggests that any resulting product may still be years away from release. Apple often investigates a wide range of new product areas, some of which never get released.

該實驗室是在去年底設立的，當時蘋果剛剛披露了即將推出的智能手錶和最新款iPhone。該實驗室設立時間之短，表明它距離發佈任何成品還要數年時間。蘋果公司經常會對新產品領域開展大範圍調查研究，其中部分領域永遠不會發布產品。