“Speculation about whether Apple will build a vehicle has been a favorite topic of conversation in the tech and auto worlds all year. It’s also dominated the news at some auto shows, without Apple being present,” Doug Newcomb writes for PC Magazine. “The rumors have been fanned by comments from Apple execs, the company hiring hundreds of automotive engineers and a meeting with BMW officials to tour its i3 electric car factory In May, it was revealed that Apple made inquiries into using GoMentum Station, a 5,000-acre former Navy weapons station east of San Francisco that’s now a secure testing facility for autonomous and connected vehicles.”
“Last week, meanwhile, it was discovered that Apple senior legal counsel Mike Maletic met with the California DMV to review ‘autonomous vehicle regulations,'” Newcomb writes. “Then on Monday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple’s car efforts were now a “committed project” with an eye on a 2019 ship date.”
“Apple has move[d] into other markets before, from portable music players to smartphones, only to redefine and dominate them,” Newcomb writes. “Entering the auto industry is complex and expensive (though if anyone can afford it, Apple can), but here are three reasons why the company has picked a perfect time to do it.”
- Technology is transforming automotive
- Shared mobility is the wave of the future
- The auto industry is ripe for disruption
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Whatever it is, it’ll offer something(s) unique and be priced accordingly.
SEE ALSO:
The deeper reason for an Apple Car – September 23, 2015
Volkswagen emissions scandal spotlights need for an Apple Car – September 23, 2015
Morgan Stanley: Apple Car, if true, ‘one of the most important moments in transportation’ – September 22, 2015
Former GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz: Apple Car ‘is going to be a gigantic money pit’ – September 22, 2015
Apple speeds up electric-car efforts, aims for 2019 ‘ship date’ – September 21, 2015
Apple meets California DMV officials to discuss ‘autonomous vehicle’ – September 18, 2015
Documents confirm Apple is building self-driving car, Project Titan further along than many suspect – August 14, 2015
Apple Car development proceeds apace – July 27, 2015
Apple hires veteran Fiat Chrysler auto industry executive – July 20, 2015
What’s up with Carl Icahn’s sudden obsession with the Apple Car? – May 18, 2015
Survey: 77% of hybrid or electric vehicle owners would likely buy an Apple Car – May 13, 2015
Apple’s ‘Project Titan’ could reshape the auto world – February 22, 2015
I am going to make my current car last as long as possible. Will I buy an Apple Car? Maybe. It depends. But if I like the Apple Car, then my current car should be about ready to trade in.
Well with the news of the diesel debacle the timing indeed seems to be right. Diesels are now as good as dead and certainly this side of the pond politicians this very day were saying that grants and encouragement now has to go towards electric vehicles and urgently so. That said Im sure that other alternative solutions like Hydrogen would be included should they become practical but either way by 2019 there is going to be a great impetus to dump the internal combustion engine now that Diesel’s attempt to be a solution to C02 output is as good as dead.
I think that the diesel issue is being overhyped in the US. The marketshare for diesel engines in the US is so low that even if they stopped being sold, it won’t matter much for electric vehicles. Gasoline engines are very clean and efficient, especially with hybrid powertrains. The price point for electric coupled with the range problems will drive most people to continue to buy gasoline or hybrids.
Gasoline engines are not very efficient. The vast majority of the energy is converted into heat, not motion.
True, an ICE does create a lot of heat…but to what degree that is actually “waste” depends on how far north (or south) you live.
To heck with a car. I want an Apple Plane that flies itself, so I don’t have to get a license.
The aspect/concept of the “self driving car” is far closer than most people realize. At least the potential is already here and has been in use for about 10 years.
Farm owners with GPS tractors set the tractor to go down rows for 1 to 3 miles long with a deviation of no more than 2 inches for the entire length, then turn around and go on the next set of rows. 3 miles, deviation of 2 inches. More than that and the crop will be destroyed.
IF this technology has been around that long, Apple’s car will only need the battery source solved, and they seem to have solved that. Plus, other companies have solved the “proximity of other vehicle” problem.
Looking forward to seeing Apple combine all of the above into one.
I think self driving vehicles could be made operational on interstate highways in a few short years. But the highways would need to be modified with space on the side of the road to handle controlled stops should the designated non-driver be unable to take control when it’s time to exit. Maybe they’ll have designated autonomous vehicle parking areas near exits.
Nobody wants this garbage. Self driving cars are a pipe dream. Just like Tim Cook thinking he is the next Steve Jobs. Hopefully the board fires him and Ive soon.