Steve Zadesky, a 16-year Apple veteran and the person overseeing the development of the company's electric car project, has announced he is leaving the the company, citing personal reasons, according to Yahoo! Finance.

The head of the Apple Car project previously worked as a Ford engineer before coming onboard at the Cupertino giant. There, he played a significant role in the development and design of the iPod and the iPhone. His most important role yet, however, was to head the company's electric car project. He was appointment by Apple CEO Tim Cook.

With Zedesky's departure, Apple's electric car project, internally known as Project Titan, is set to hit a massive roadblock. The Apple been said to be aiming for a 2020 release date, but with the head of the project leaving the company, meeting the deadline would be especially tricky, reports BGR News.

Apple has been exerting massive effort toward the development of its first electric car, reportedly hiring top experts from the world's most prominent makers of electric cars, including Tesla, Volkswagen, and GM.

In fact, even Mission Motors, a new automobile startup, nearly shut down after almost so many of its key staff were lured away by Apple, according to The International Business Times.

With rival Google's electric cars fast becoming a common sight on several American roads, Apple's offering, with or without the man at the project's helm, must maintain its current pace if it wants to win a significant portion of the emerging electric car market.

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