A decade ago, Apple decided to get into automotive manufacturing. It must have gone to the Jeremy Clarkson school of engineering because its attitude toward building a car can be summed up in one infamous short sentence. "How hard can it be?" And now, the famous smartphone maker has hit another major snag.

As Apple found out, the answer is very. In June last year, things seemed to be going swell. Apple was reportedly talking to Chinese battery manufacturers, well on its way to meeting the 2024 deadline. It also poached employees from Tesla and the man responsible for the BMW i8.

Now Apple is getting a taste of its own medicine, as a US-based autonomous vehicle systems specialist poached one of its senior executives less than a year after he started working for Apple.

Christopher CJ Moore is not a well-known name, but you know his work. He helped Tesla bring Autopilot to fruition before being lured to Apple in August last year. Moore has now moved from Apple to Luminar Technology, a company specializing in lidar-based autonomous driving.

For the record, there is a current dispute in the automotive world over whether basic camera systems are good enough for autonomous driving. Tesla and Toyota seem to think so, but other manufacturers continue to rely on Lidar.

Luminar Technology is also relatively unknown in the automotive world, but its name will gain traction in the coming years. It recently partnered with Mercedes-Benz to develop next-generation autonomous systems. It seems Mercedes is one of the manufacturers putting their money behind Lidar.

Despite losing high-profile employees, Apple is fighting to bring a car to market. We suppose it makes sense, given the sheer power of the brand. In early February, we reported on a new patent filed by Apple, which suggests the plan is still on track.

The main stumbling block seems to be battery packs. Apple's negotiations with the Chines battery suppliers reached a dead end. According to reports, Apple wants battery manufacturers to set up shop in the USA and hire American employees. These manufacturers aren't allowed to deal with anyone else and need to focus all of their efforts on Apple.

Interestingly, the battery suppliers Apple was talking to also supply Tesla with batteries for the Model 3 and Model Y, so was Apple trying to cut Tesla off at the knees by stealing its battery supplier?

It's going to be interesting to see how this pans out. Apple has two years left until its deadline, and we've yet to see even a concept car turn a wheel.