Doug Field, former Tesla engineering chief, returns to Apple

By Stephen Nellis

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Doug Field, who stepped down as the senior vice president of engineering at Tesla Inc <TSLA.O> last month, is returning to Apple Inc <AAPL.O>, Apple told Reuters on Thursday.

Field will be working with Apple executive Bob Mansfield, who has been heading up Apple's self-driving car programme, Project Titan, according to Daring Fireball, a technology news website that earlier reported Field's move.

Apple did not comment on Field's new position. Field and Mansfield previously worked together on engineering Apple's line of Mac computers.

Field has spent the past five years at Tesla. In April, Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said in a tweet that he had asked Field to manage the company's engineering and production while Musk focused more time on Model 3 production.

But in May, reports emerged that Field was leaving the carmaker, which has raced to meet production targets for the Model 3. At the time, Tesla said Field was "just taking some time off to recharge and spend time with his family. He has not left Tesla."

In July, Tesla announced that Field had left Tesla.

Apple has said little about the scope of its self-driving car project, but court documents filed last month said that as many as 5,000 people were authorized inside the company to access information about the project.

(This story corrects spelling of Tesla in first paragraph and that Field's move had been previously reported by technology website Daring Fireball.)

(Reporting by Stephen Nellis; Editing by Chris Gallagher)