“What was once discussed within certain technology circles is now in mainstream news,” Neil Cybart writes for Above Avalon. “Apple is building a startup focused on designing an electric car. When compared to previous product initiatives, Apple is embarking on its most ambitious project in its history.”
“In recent years, there has been much debate surrounding the factors that have contributed to Apple becoming the most valuable company in the world. There is growing evidence that Apple is confident it still has the keys to success,” Cybart writes. “The startup team Apple is putting together and the corporate values that support such a team will determine Apple’s ultimate success in the automobile industry.”
“Steve Zadesky appears to be playing a major role in Apple Car development. In addition, Jony Ive and Marc Newson will likely play a pivotal role in coming up not only with Apple Car’s design, but also the materials and manufacturing processes involved in such a product,” Cybart writes. “Apple’s ultimate success with Project Titan will depend not on whether Apple can build autonomous features into an automobile or come up with a breakthrough user interface. Rather, those features are byproducts of the much bigger product that Apple is trying to build: the best team of automotive experts in the world.”
Much more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: If you foster the right environment, the chances for magic increase significantly.
SEE ALSO:
Why it’s time for an Apple Car – October 1, 2015
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
Imagine if this is one of those rumors that Apple start just to see competitors start making stupid product to try to get ahead of apple final product just like it happened with the iPad, the witch, the Apple TV.
Can you imagine Samsung or Microsoft trying to pull a car? Please Samsung and Microsoft, please try to build a car so you. Two copiers finally get that you are not Apple.
Samsung actually do make cars. They’re available in the domestic Korean market and Chile.
Samsung Motors manufactured cars in 1998 and soon after had difficulty in surviving. Renault took over with a major share and has been producing Renault Samsung cars in South Korea.
If they can come up with a solution for those of us not lucky enough to have a garage, I’d be all over it. The only reason I own a Prius and not an electric or plug-in hybrid is because my car sits in my condo’s parking lot, far away from any electric outlets.
——RM
Hydrogen fuel cells offer a lot of advantages and would certainly work for those who don’t have a power point adjacent to their car’s parking place.
It’s “currently” far away, but as electric cars become more common, more and more legislation will be added to provide chargers in condo parking lots.
Another option, if you drive to work, is to lobby for a charger at workplaces.
We have really become a sad lot. Instead of us being excited about new possibilities and new markets opening up demand and the subsequent flourishing market, we want the government to come in and tell us what is best for us.
My company has designated plug-in stations for EVs. They’ve been available for about 18 months. The best part. No charge! (Pun intended)
The article refers to the materials and manufacturing processes that Apple is likely to adopt. I think this is a key aspect that is frequently overlooked.
Most existing car manufacturers imagine that the way that they currently build cars is the only way to do it. Many observers appear to think that Apple will come to some sort of arrangement with a conventional car company. I think that both these views are wrong and that Apple will design a car that has little in common with existing cars, so there would be no advantage in partnering with another manufacturer and no requirement for 2015 car assembly technology.
When you look at what Apple has done in the past, it’s new product categories have been quite unlike comparable existing products. I think we can be pretty certain that an Apple Car will be quite unlike any other car and will be built in a way that’s different to other cars.
One thing that won’t change is that when it’s launched, the CEOs of current car manufacturers will be telling everybody why Apple’s car will be a bad idea and how it will never catch on.
Previously posted on another thread:
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 (hydrogen fuel cell?), and it seems they may 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. Take us to the future, Apple!
The following has been determined to be a false rumor, by website: http://www.snopes.com
Microsoft CEO Bill Gates made a brief reference to the existing PC vs. automobiles price comparison concept during his remarks at the COMDEX computer exposition in November 1997:
“The price of a mid-sized auto, it’s about double what it used to be. what would car prices be if the Auto industry were innovating like the PC industry? The car would cost about $27 and get about 1000 miles/gallon. So, I think there’s a lot to be learned by watching how this industry has done what it’s done.
Following this remark, General Motors Chairman, Jack Smith addressed this comment by releasing the following statement: “If Microsoft built and automobile, would you want a car that crashed twice a day? Every time they repainted the lines on the road you would have to buy a new car. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason, and you would just accept this, restart and drive on. Occasionally, executing a maneuver would cause your engine to fall out and you would have to re-install the engine. For some strange reason, you would accept this too. You could only have one person in the car at a time, unless you bought Car95 or CarNT. But, then you would have to buy more seats. The oil, gas and alternator warning lights would be replaced by a single “blue warning light of death”. The airbag system would say “Are you sure?” before going off.”
Yes, the website info is bogus. GM did not make a press release with that blurb. That was stuff bandied about for entertainment purposes by the Apple faithful and those that generally disliked Microsoft in the ’90s.
And it was Roger Smith not Jack Smith. He was the clown who spent $50 billion (yes billion) on robots and factory automation in the ’80s only to have 90% of it scrapped because they didn’t have a proper implementation plan. He somehow convinced himself that robots would eliminate quality problems, as if product design and production processes had nothing to do with it. GM shareholders should have had his head! But instead he retired to a glorious sunset.
I have no doubt that Apple will make a good looking and well-performing vehicle. A key issue is that they will be competing with themselves in the areas of high standards, fit and finish, and – most importantly – all the small touches and clever B features. I look at my VW CC (non-diesel, by the way) and the abundance of small cool things (one single example being the removable/washable inserts for the cupholders). Every one of these little things will have to be designed, tested and mass-manufactured, and no matter how popular the Apple car might be, Apple will not have the savings of scale that a major global manufacturer can enjoy.
My prediction is that the Apple car will look _almost_ cool (the yuppie factor reducing the coolness, ala the Yaris), that after a few hiccups, it will perform well, and that the small touches will be limited for the first few years. I’m also assuming that it will be priced at around $40K and up.
I believe that Apple started the Car stuff around the iPad time. The only reason this is news now is because they are quite close to getting the actual car out now. If it’s a car! That means the idea sprouted even before iPhone as iPad was first in line.
What a thought! I will buy the Apple Witch 😉