Dozens of employees in Apple's secret car project have departed in recent weeks after the new leader of the unit refocused its strategy, said people familiar with the situation, according to Financial Times.

The changes, which come at least two years into its ambitious attempt to build an electric car with self-driving capabilities, suggest that it may take longer than some investors had hoped for Apple to come up with a significant new revenue driver that can reduce its reliance on the iPhone.

Bob Mansfield, an Apple veteran, took over leadership of the car team over the summer, after the departure of his predecessor Steve Zadesky earlier this year.

Since 2014, the Apple unit has recruited hundreds of people, drawing on both internal engineers, such as people who worked on the original iPhone team, and recruits from other automotive companies, from Tesla to Mercedes-Benz. The research lab is based in several unmarked buildings around Sunnyvale, close to Apple's Cupertino headquarters in Silicon Valley.