“The experts say Apple’s self-driving car project is canceled, delayed or converted into a software play,” Mike Elgan writes for Computerworld. “They’ll also tell you that cars are a weird business for Apple to be in.”
Elgan writes, “The experts have it all wrong.”
“Apple is going pedal-to-the-metal on building a car and for good reason,” Elgan writes. “According to J. Crew CEO and chairman Mickey Drexler, who served on the Apple board from 1999 to 2015.. [Steve] Jobs wanted Apple to reinvent the automobile industry.”
“The autonomous car world will change everything. In the future, the car stuff (engines, tires, paint jobs) will be less relevant to consumers, who in any case may avoid actually buying a car. The reasons for buying or not buying a car will have little to do with status and everything to do with the experience of transport,” Elgan writes. “A car will become for Apple what the company’s data servers are — Apple-owned hardware that provides services to users.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: For many, the cost of a vehicle, or vehicles, are among their highest expenses. Imagine not having to buy/lease a car – or, at least, being able to lease a car service for pennies on the dollar, to go where you want to go, when you want to go, with all of your entertainment and work data at your fingertips – all without having to deal with a human driver.
The only big negative that springs to mind, besides those who’d really miss physically driving excellent vehicles, is the same problem with public transportation today: Cleanliness. Perhaps Apple Cars would drive through irradiation car “washes” between each trip?
Of course, you could choose to buy and own an Apple Car, or Apple Cars, solving that problem.
SEE ALSO:
Apple isn’t working on a car, they’re working on something much bigger – May 12, 2017
CarKit: Apple’s ‘Project Titan’ really a ‘HomeKit for cars’ rather than an actual vehicle? – May 11, 2017
Apple wants California DMV to shroud public reports about Apple’s autonomous vehicle tests – April 28, 2017
Check out the Lexus that Apple’s using to test their self-driving car tech – April 28, 2017
How Apple is training testers for self-driving Apple Car – April 24, 2017
Apple permit reveals self-driving car testers include NASA roboticists – April 24, 2017
Apple + satellites = ? – April 22. 2017
Why Apple may be interested in space satellites – April 21, 2017
Apple’s self-driving car test program revealed in new document – April 21, 2017
Analyst: Apple ‘almost certainly’ exploring making a whole car but there’s a big challenge – April 18, 2017
Right now, the ‘Apple Car’ is a 2015 Lexus RX 450h SUV – April 17, 2017
Gene Munster on Apple Car: Exploration does not mean a product comes to market – April 17, 2017
Apple’s Project Titan: California makes it official – April 17, 2017
Why you should get your self-driving car from Apple – April 17, 2017
Apple secures permit to test autonomous vehicles – April 15, 2017
Apple’s letter to the U.S. NHTSA reveals 30-year Detroit veteran on its stealth ‘Project Titan’ team – December 8, 2016
Apple files patent for autonomous vehicle collision avoidance system – December 8, 2016
Apple letter all but confirms plans for self-driving cars and commitment to privacy – December 5, 2016
Apple drops hints about autonomous-vehicle project in letter to U.S. transportation regulators – December 3, 2016
It’s not McLaren Racing, but McLaren Applied Technologies, that’s the apple of Apple’s eye – September 23, 2016
Apple-target McLaren is a tech company disguised as a carmaker – September 22, 2016
Supercar-maker McLaren says not in discussion with Apple ‘in respect of any potential investment’ – September 22, 2016
Apple in talks to acquire British supercar maker McLaren – September 21, 2016
Apple in talks to acquire electric vehicle-maker Lit Motors – September 21, 2016
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Dan K.” for the heads up.]