It has been rumored for a while now that Apple is working on an electric vehicle of their own codenamed Project Titan.

Consumer electronics company Apple Inc (AAPL.O) has hired a senior engineer from electric vehicle maker Tesla Motors Inc (TSLA.O), according to a LinkedIn posting, as part of Apple’s effort to build a team of experts in automated driving. Prior to his stint at Tesla, Carlson worked on automotive vision systems for Michigan-based supplier Gentex Corp.

A LinkedIn profile for Jamie Carlson shows that he has left Tesla and moved to Apple.

And yes, Apple only acquired Carlson this time around but the company has already picked up the likes of Megan McClain in January, who is formerly a Volkswagen AG engineer who has a particular specialty with automated driving.

Apple has made a slew of new hires recently: specialists in the fields of driver-assistance software systems and automated-driving engineering.

You might also recall that Apple earlier this summer hired Doug Betts, a seasoned automotive executive with more than 20 years of industry experience overseeing all aspects of the manufacturing process, including supply chain logistics and product quality.

No statement from Apple yet, but the evidence is clearly mounting: Apple seems to desperately want a piece of the autonomous-car market.

But while Google might have got a head start, Apple is going about it the right way, apparently, as they continue to acquire Tesla employees to help them. While developing and manufacturing its own branded vehicle is not without its logistical, economic, and practical challenges, it’s fast becoming apparent that Apple’s auto research might be much more involved than other exploratory research initiatives.