Apple Abandons Car Plans 'For Now,' Sets Late 2017 Deadline to Decide Fate of Self-Driving System

[69Mustang]

Remember how many times you were faced with this scenario in the last year? In your life? Remember all your family members and friends who faced this scenario? Remember all the celebrities?

This problem DOES NOT EXIST. If you're faced with the scenario where you can hit a pedestrian or a brick wall, the speed limit is 20 MPH. Hitting something or someone will injure them - maybe send them to a hospital. They almost certainly won't die. Unless you're speeding badly.

I think @kattskrall is overreacting to your post. But to be honest, you don't help with what you post. You seem to have a lack of understanding of the automotive industry and you're completely sold on EV's and Tesla in particular. May I suggest you start with understanding the background of some of the topics you're discussing. Starting with the problem that doesn't exist: it's called the Trolley Dilemma. You are right, it doesn't exist per se. It's a thought experiment. It is applicable to autonomous driving. It's an issue that Mercedes has already decided btw.

Let's move on to your 20 mph scenario. Fundamentally flawed. 20 mph collision with a small vehicle? Survival is probably likely. 20 mph collision with full size SUV, Truck, bus, 18 wheeler? Survival is more of a question. This doesn't even take into consideration the type of hit: straight on, offset, etc. or ride height of vehicle. Basically what I'm trying to say is maybe you should avoid blanket statements.

With an autonomous car, defects in the brakes would be immediately noticed. The car would demand that it be serviced before driving you anywhere.

Brakes are mechanical and are actually a system. They are more than just pads and rotors. A failure anywhere within that system can cause catastrophic and sudden failure. I'm not sure where you got that info about an autonomous car detecting defects with the brakes. Even if that was true, a defect in the detection software could render that failsafe useless. Brakes are a wear item. Systems are in place to monitor that wear and detect certain issues. Sudden failure is sudden failure. You can't predict it.

 

[v0lume4]

I'm sick of waiting for this Apple Car to come out.

Instead, I went out and bought a DELL XPS. Couldn't be happier with my decision.

What do you think about it?! I'm genuinely interested.

 

[Mildredop]

One thing I do feel strongly about is the fact that Tesla is made here and not sourced out to a foreign nation unlike where Apple makes all of its products and does all of its banking.

Yet.

 

[sofila]

I fear you've been watching too much "I, Robot".

Though I'd argue just watching that film once is too much.

I don't know if you're questioning the movie or the idea behind, but I find Asimov's production amusing, especially given they're more than 70 years old.

 

[IJ Reilly]

That's why GM says they're only going to build 30K EVs per year - they can't obtain enough batteries to build more.

No, they don't say that. GM will sell around 20,000 Volts and 30,000 Sparks this year, and are looking to sell 50-60,000 Bolts next year. Whether they will sell that number of Bolts remains to be seen, but Chevy has said they can build as many as they can sell.

 

[coolfactor]

that's unfortunate. if a company like apple with all of its immense cash reserves and resources can't move forward, then what hope is there for others?

Money isn't everything. Maybe Apple has realized that they are spreading themselves too thin, and failing to deliver on some of their core fronts, such as Macs. Saying "No" is one of Apple's strengths. The "others" may have cars as their primary focus, unlike Apple, and may simply say "it's good enough" and deliver to the marketplace anyway.

 

[aliensporebomb]

Who really wants self driving cars except long distance commuters who want to take a nap?

 

[satchmo]

The ecosystem would be the differentiator. The integration of hardware, software and services. Which is the differentiator on all their other products.

But every competitor claims their product as having an ecosystem. So there is no differentiation other than which ecosystem you prefer...which is highly subjective.

 

[Sonmi451]

Honestly the electric car competition is going to be quite complex in the next few years. While I like Testla, the competition from traditional car makers is going to start getting more serious, as makers move away from Diesel, and move into renewable options such as electric, fuel cell, and the likes. What we saw at the Paris auto show is likely just the tip of the iceberg.

*Tesla. What evidence do you see from auto manufacturers that they are getting serious? Nobody is doing anything more than prototypes except for the Bolt. this is just FUD from the autos to try to get people to hold off. And what are you even talking about from the Paris show? 2 prototypes from VW and Mercedes that may never even come to the market. It's getting a little old.

 

[gugy]

IMO Apple is spreading themselves too thin. Too many fronts. What they are doing to Macs is criminal. I mean really? That long of update cycles. While as a company is good they are exploring new revenue streams, they also need to focus on what they have already in place and give the best to it's customers on a consistent basis. Not updating something and taking years to update again (MacPro, MacMini and displays as main examples)

 

[rGiskard]

Oh FFS, all that money they pissed away on the car boondoggle could have refreshed the Mac lineup several times over, made the best Pro Tower on the market, and even introduced an xMac consumer Mac with PCIe slots! Apple could have offered a 17" Retina Lapzilla. They could have offered a 24" iMac and a 30" iMac along with the sizes currently offered.

They could have refocused attention on the pro market.

They could have kickstarted their core business sales but instead they just put all that money in a great pile and set it on fire.

It's time to FIRE the entire executive team. Tamp down the bozo eruption before it's too late.

 

[8281]

that's unfortunate. if a company like apple with all of its immense cash reserves and resources can't move forward, then what hope is there for others?

Google, Tesla, UBER, Ford, Mercedes, and probably more are already working on this technology...

 

[IJ Reilly]

Oh don't get me going on GM (Personal Rant)

First off, GM is a disaster of a corporation, with quite a bit of it's assets and history tied into fossil fuels, and lobbying with those corporations to help with regulations that boost their sales. They are also notorious for resisting change (Granted mostly in the US, their European divisions are much better).

It must be a personal rant since it can't be called a practical criticism. I've never been interested in a GM product myself until today. Today, I put down a deposit on a Chevy Bolt, and I did that because they and not Tesla or any of those "non-disaster" companies was first to the mark with a 200+ mile EV for under $40k, and by all accounts GM made a good job of it. One of the reasons they were first to mark was their history of building EVs.

 

[doelcm82]

I wouldn't want want, I love driving, why take that away.

The car I currently drive has cruise control (radar assisted, so it won't drive into the back of a slower car in front). It can alert me if I drift out of my lane, or even if I run low on fuel. It has a light to tell me if it's time for regular service. It has an alert to warn me if a car is approaching while I'm backing up, and if I try to change lanes when a car is in my blind spot, it beeps at me. The rear-view camera has guide-lines to show where the car will end up if I keep the wheel turned where it is. The headlights automatically dim when another car is approaching.

So much has been taken away already, but I'm not someone who loves driving, so I don't mind that my car does all these things for me. A true lover of driving would never buy a car with cruise control, let alone engage it, because controlling your own speed is an essential part of driving, as is looking over your shoulder when going in reverse.

 

[8281]

Until we can program morality, self driving cars won't be a thing.

(The classic problem when the car has to decide who to kill if the brakes fail scenario)

Brake failure on an electric car wouldn't matter as much. The car would just use the electric motor to stop the vehicle. That's essentially what regen braking is.

 

[maflynn]

So much has been taken away already,

Only if you let it. What I mean by that, is that I drive a Jeep wrangler, standard transmission. No backing up cameras, no lane alerts. Yeah it has cruise control (but I don't use it) but overall, its a fun vehicle to drive

 

[rGiskard]

It must be a personal rant since it can't be called a practical criticism. I've never been interested in a GM product myself until today. Today, I put down a deposit on a Chevy Bolt, and I did that because they and not Tesla or any of those "non-disaster" companies was first to the mark with a 200+ mile EV for under $40k, and by all accounts GM made a good job of it. One of the reasons they were first to mark was their history of building EVs.

I have a Volt and it's the best car I've ever driven. Rock solid, totally reliable, and most days I drive 100% EV, yet I have the option to take longer trips on gas. IMO the Volt is the most practical EV solution on the market and it's a shame more people don't understand it.

The Bolt, I would love to get a Bolt but it just wouldn't work for me since I'm a one-car person. Weekend trips would be too problematic. But damn, it's an amazing engineering achievement and GM deserves to sell a crap ton of them. Cool thing: I saw a Bolt this summer here in MI, it was in a parking lot and Chief Engineer Josh Tavel was pacing outside the car on his cell. I gave him the thumbs up but he was too busy to notice.

 

[MH01]

So Tims grand plan is just to milk the products that Steve left behind, and travel the world meeting people . Can't blame him really, though I suspect he is going to cull the Mac Pro also and launch macs that are not performance oriented to push people to iPad pros.

I think reality set in how the car industry works, and a car with Apple tax was not going to sell like iPhones as it would be very expansive

 

[nazaar]

Is this the sign of a company that doesn't know what to focus on next...?
#yes.

 

[Dmunjal]

Honestly the electric car competition is going to be quite complex in the next few years. While I like Testla, the competition from traditional car makers is going to start getting more serious, as makers move away from Diesel, and move into renewable options such as electric, fuel cell, and the likes. What we saw at the Paris auto show is likely just the tip of the iceberg.

Other manufacturers will build EVs. The problem is they don't have what Tesla has today. A high speed nationwide charging network and a battery factory.

 

[IJ Reilly]

I have a Volt and it's the best car I've ever driven. Rock solid, totally reliable, and most days I drive 100% EV, yet I have the option to take longer trips on gas. IMO the Volt is the most practical EV solution on the market and it's a shame more people don't understand it.

The Bolt, I would love to get a Bolt but it just wouldn't work for me since I'm a one-car person. Weekend trips would be too problematic. But damn, it's an amazing engineering achievement and GM deserves to sell a crap ton of them. Cool thing: I saw a Bolt this summer here in MI, it was in a parking lot and Chief Engineer Josh Tavel was pacing outside the car on his cell. I gave him the thumbs up but he was too busy to notice.

True, an EV is probably is still not a practical solution for most one-car households (though don't overlook the option of renting a car for longer trips). A proliferation of Fast DC charging stations will alter that calculus in the near future I suspect. I ordered that option on the Bolt knowing that I probably won't use it much but when I need it I will really need it.

I give GM a lot of credit for what they've done with the Bolt (except the name, which I hate!). With all the focus on Tesla, GM lapped them easily.

 

[RC Mike]

Who really wants self driving cars except long distance commuters who want to take a nap?

Me. I've got a 25 minute commute. To get almost an hour back each day would be awesome. All of the other ways a self-driving car would save time and effort would be great, too. No need to get a cab or bug a friend for a ride to the airport. Need to pick up the kids? Send the car.

It's hard to say just how much they might change society, but some of it is flat out easy to imagine. It may no longer make sense to own a car. Send the car for groceries--it pulls into a pickup area, they're loaded in the trunk, and home it comes. Send it to get its oil changed. The small ways it would save time add up.

 

[iMember]

Tesla CEO Elon Musk believes Apple will not have its own vehicle ready by 2020, calling it a "missed opportunity."

Apple already "missed opportunity" in Virtual Reality, Hybrid Tablets, Drones and more...by the time Apple finishes building the car, Samsung and the competition moves to flying cars

 

[iPadCary]

Thank Christ! It was an insane idea to begin with. Well done, Tim!

 

[jlc1978]

Focus on the computer/software aspect, not the actual car part. Makes a million times more sense.

Exactly. Building a car is a very complex task and Apple can't simply contract it out to vendors in China. In addition, there are a whole lot of rules and regulations that govern manufacturing a car, plus all the state rules on who can sell them. Rather than sink tons of money in building a car, and get lower margins than they are used to getting, Apple can focus on software and becoming an OEM, which is much more in line with their expertise.