While Apple still hasn’t publicly announced its automotive ambitions, the fact that the consumer electronics giant is working on a car is “an open secret,” in the words of fellow traveler Elon Musk. CEO Tim Cook has said that the triple trend of electrification, autonomy and connectivity will bring about “massive change in the industry.”

Now Apple’s world-changing project may have suffered a setback, as its top auto authority prepares to jump ship. According to unnamed sources cited by the Wall Street Journal, Steve Zadesky, a 16-year Apple veteran who has been overseeing its EV project for the last two years, plans to leave the company for personal reasons.

Mr. Zadesky was an engineer at Ford before joining Apple in 1999. In 2014, he was assigned to investigate Apple’s entry into the EV market. Last year, Apple gave him the green light to triple the 600-person head count for the so-called “Titan” initiative, and set a “ship date” of 2019.

More: Apple exec: “The car is the ultimate mobile device.”

Source: Wall Street Journal