“German car and truck maker Daimler is not afraid of new competitors from the technology and telecoms industries, Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche said on Tuesday,” Edward Taylor reports for Reuters. “‘There is tremendous opportunity in the convergence of the West Coast tech industry and the auto industry with its huge technological depth,’ Zetsche said at the Geneva auto show.”
MacDailyNews Take: That much is true.
“Asked if Daimler would be open to new forms of cooperation with the likes of Apple and Google, Zetsche said they were already cooperating on several levels,” Taylor reports. “‘We are open to any kind of development,’ he said, adding he did not know if rumours about Apple building a car were true.”
MacDailyNews Take: Behind closed doors, they must laugh heartily at that Google car and the intensive mapping (which could change at any time: ‘Oops, where did that baby carriage come from?!’) that it requires to operate.
“Separately, Daimler continues to benefit from strong momentum in luxury-car sales in the first quarter, the CEO said,” Taylor reports. “‘We have to accept that the overall economy will have an effect on sales; we are prepared but we have not seen it yet,’ he said on Russia.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: This guy’s got a wide variety of reactions to the idea of an Apple Car.
We’ll check back next year and see if Apple Car is still being talked about or if it’s fallen off the radar.
Related articles:
Apple Car rumors fuel Geneva Motor Show debate about car of future – March 1, 2015
Mercedes-Benz chairman: iPhone guys are not going to just walk in – February 24, 2015
The “Apple full tv” was just a rumor.. After 3 years, everybody still talking about it.
Zetsche said “I don’t think we’ll be talking about Apple Car this time next year.” Interesting short term view.
When Apple sees a market it tries to analyze things 10 & 20 years out. Apple looks to where people spend their money and transportation is a big item. It has also been filled with a lot of Pintos & Yugos & BMW ‘selector knobs.’
I don’t think we will know what Apple will do until they announce something.
Steve Jobs loved his Mercedes. Just sayin.
Yes, well only because Apple had not yet invented a car of their own. I have driven BMW for years. They are the “ultimate driving machine” only because of design. I have no problem however believing that Apple can do better. Apple is not merely a phone or computer company, they are as big and successful as they are because Apple is primarily a DESIGN company with product based on elegant design with an eye on supreme quality. BMW or any other car maker had better remember this. If they choose to become the Foxconn of the car business and the prime contractor for the Apple designed car, they have a chance. If they don’t, they will likely be in for stiff competition. Apple could buy outright the 5 biggest automakers without blinking. That gives them a HUGE advantage.
The Ultimate Driving Machine was the pre Yuppie BMW- a company that has become exactly the kind of car company they used to make fun of. BMWs used to be lithe, lightweight and ran on i4 and i6 engines. They also used to be reasonably priced.
The 3 Series of today is bigger than the old 5 series. The BMWs of the Bangle and post Bangle era are ugly, oversized, overpriced and more a fashion statement than a sports sedan.
The best cars coming out of Germany these days are Audis.
Mercedes has lost it’s way and has become dependent upon crappy low end (for Mercedes) junk that is as ugly as anything out of Seoul.
Audi has fire in it’s belly, BMW is trading on it’s rep and Mercedes is wandering around clueless. The board at Mercedesstraße 137 needs to give Dieter Zetsche his walking papers.
Which makes the point completely. If companies like BMW can forget the design fundamentals that put them off their game, Apple is the very one who can remind them with some lessons in design.
Apple basically has to go big or go home if they want to get into cars. That means dealers, service centres, warranty, intensive safety testing, etc, etc. Personally even with Apple’s security, I don’t see a couple of cars with stuff on the roof as being a big push. I’d far rather see them get into controlling the user faced electronics of a car and let existing manufacturers continue to offer a variety of models and price points.
No, Apple doesn’t have to set up dealerships. Look at Tesla’s model: No dealers, and it has service centers which come pick up your car for free and take it to their service center to be serviced. It can certainly be done, and Tesla has spearheaded the regulatory issues which previously blocked such a model.
The cars with cameras, etc. on the roof have nothing to do with an Car. That’s Maps stuff.
We won’t see an Car for years, if ever. I suspect any Car being tested is more about testing electronic control system, infotainment systems, etc. than a production car Apple wants to produce.
Sure, like all those assembly plants that they own….Er, or are those owned by Foxconn? Right, well, if Chrysler, or Kia, or some other car maker, decides to line up as the prime contractor, like Foxconn has, they can start building the Apple car and sell it through their dealerships. More likely Apple lines up Tesla as the primary dealer first, but it could easily be another company. Whatever company it is, it will be an Apple design that gets built.
Indeed so Mercedes-Benz! This time next year we’ll be talking about getting tickets for Bot battles at the Mother Ship Arena!!!
Seems to be a human equivalent to German cars, technically competent, reliable but oh so bland for the most part.