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Tesla Motors on Thursday announced the Palo Alto-based company has hired Doug Field, who previously held the VP position at Apple and was responsible for development on the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and iMac. He had been with the iPhone-maker for five years. Field will assume the role of Vice President of Vehicle Programs, and use his knowledge and experience to help Tesla develop new vehicles.

On the hiring, Tesla CEO Elon Musk praised Field's technical talents, saying his contributions to Apple have lead to development of "the best computers in the world."

"Tesla's future depends on engineers who can create the most innovative, technologically advanced vehicles in the world," Musk said. "Doug's experiences in both consumer electronics and traditional automotive makes him an important addition to our leadership." Before his days at Apple, Field was an engineer at Ford Motor Company.

Field said he hadn't dreamed of leaving Apple until Tesla came along. While he liked the fast-paced excitement of the technology industry, Field described Tesla as "the first high tech auto company in modern history," which basically gave him the opportunity to combine his two loves. "Tesla is at last an opportunity for me and many others to pursue the dream of building the best cars in the world," Field said.

Tesla Motors is quickly becoming one of the most widely respected auto makers today, making headlines and winning award after award thanks to its Model S. The company currently has a Model X crossover SUV in development, along with something known as BlueStar, which will be a more affordable model for the average consumer.