Sam Oliver, writing for AppleInsider:

Apple has placed a hiring freeze on the team responsible for the company’s nascent automotive ambitions after executives became unhappy with the project’s direction and progress, AppleInsider has learned.

The change was precipitated by a post-holiday progress review conducted by Apple design chief Jony Ive, according to a previously reliable source with knowledge of the team’s activities. Ive is said to have “expressed his displeasure” with the group’s headway.

If Apple is indeed building a car, it’s got to be the biggest learning curve they’ve ever tackled. No big surprise if there are a few wrong turns and false starts. What’s key is that they get their ducks in a row, find the right direction.