According to his Linkedin profile, Apple's global battery development chief, Ahn Soonho, moved to Volkswagen to lead the automaker's development of electric vehicle batteries.
This is the second time in recent months that an Apple executive has left for an automaker. In September, Apple lost its head of car project, Doug Field, to Ford Motor.
Ahn became chief technology officer at the Volkswagen Group Components battery division this month, according to his Linkedin profile.
In 2018, Apple had hired Ahn, a former executive at Samsung SDI's next-generation batteries division. Apple uses batteries in its mobile phones and laptops, but also in its electric vehicles, which are under development.
Industry sources told Reuters last year Apple was aiming to launch an electric car with advanced battery technology by the year 2024.
Apple and Volkswagen did not have immediate comments, and Apple declined to make a statement.
When asked if Apple plans to develop batteries and screens in-house as it does for chips, Tim Cook, Apple CEO Tim Cook said in October, I wouldn't want to rule anything out. He said it was more of whether or not we see our way clear to doing something that is materially better.
Three people with knowledge of the discussions told Reuters that Apple's talks with China's CATL and BYD over battery supplies for its planned electric vehicle have been mostly stalled because suppliers refused to build U.S. plants that would cater solely to the tech giant.
Volkswagen wants to surpass Tesla Inc as the world's leader in electric vehicles with a plan to build six battery factories in Europe by the end of the decade.