Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple Allegedly Discussing Apple Car With Automotive Suppliers, TSMC Working on 'Self-Driving' Chips
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Exactly. So it's a mystery why they keep spending billions on TC's pet project.
They are already spending billions on this project. I agree with you. Of course, when the Apple Car is release there will be lines around the block to buy one.
Nobody has a working self driving car yet. And it might take many more years or even decades or might need a completely new approach that someone has to find first.
The EV market itself is just now getting a little bit more interesting. In the next five to ten years the battery prices will go down so much that EV can be cheaper than ICE cars. That's when the real business begins. And if Tesla is still around then? Nobody knows. They might. But they still have a long and bumpy ride in front of them to fend off all the major car manufacturers that get into that field just about right now (and in the right moment).
Sure, Tesla as a charismatic CEO (who has also outed himself as a huge covidiot this year and it sometimes more a liabililty than an asset). But they also have enormous problems with build quality for example.
And as I pointed out above: That supercharger network was nice five years ago. But the landscape is changing fast and in another five years it might actually be a problem, when Teslas are the only ones using their own standard.
And so on and so on. Sure: Cars are really, really expensive. And maybe Apple thinks more about autonomous taxis, busses etc. But this company also has enormous amounts of money lying around. And a lot of other advantages that I can't get into now because this post is getting way too long and I am hungry.
And it will have a top speed of 50 mph to protect all the snowflakes. Also wheelies will not be allowed.
Yes, but Tesla's has been building its infrastructure for longer so they have much more fast chargers. The others are just starting. But maybe in 2025 things will be more even.
I do know that I kind of sound like the phone execs in 2006... but I do think this is different. Building a car is very different than anything Apple makes- it has moving parts. There are also a lot more regulations, both in safety and otherwise (like dealerships). And there already is a company that has "disrupted" the industry: Tesla. They are way ahead in car tech than Apple and they aren't some stodgy old company like Blackberry that believes things will never change.
Ask yourself: what would Apple gain by entering this market, as compared to others. Apple is a consumer electronics company that has been expanding into services. Even if they released a very expensive car that sold out (as I'm sure it would) it still wouldn't justify their investment. There are other places for them to expand into that Apple has much more expertise in.
Like I said before, Digitimes has a very mixed record. In all likelihood, this is simply a false rumor.
true, forgot about them ... this is their current portfolio, according to Wiki:
- Mercedes-Benz G-Class 1979–present
- BMW 5 Series 2017–present
- Jaguar E-Pace 2017–present
- Jaguar I-Pace 2018–present
- BMW Z4 2018-present
- Toyota Supra 2019–present
I love Apple products, but I love my Tesla’s more. This move makes no sense to me, but if they can improve on a Tesla (unlikely) then I will give them a chance. I’d rather Apple and Tesla enter into a partnership. That would really be exciting and great for the industry.
Same ol’ baloney. Share price is lagging so Tim Cook rolls out fresh rumors of the car project. How many times are they going to play the Press?
It’s hard to stop change.
On a side note, I think it will be difficult for any company to catch up with Tesla’s self driving technology since they are already so far ahead and gathering tons of real world data from their fleet.
Nope, tires will not be upgradeable. Same with brakes, shocks, headlights,...
You’ll have to buy a new car unless you got AppleCare+ for $9,999.00 for two years or $499 per month.
Apple has been in services for many years, starting with iTunes, but that’s the besides the point, Apple’s entire company is about selling high quality experiences to consumers. They have no interest in simply manufacturing a part as you suggest and then let have someone else make an inferior product out of it. You’re thinking of a company like Samsung. Moreover, to be just another wholesale supplier of a product also means doing away with those high profit margins.
As to “it’s too late,”. LOL. Electric cars are simple on a relative basis to produce; that’s the point (no engine, transmission, etc) and Tesla and everyone else is largely using the same component parts that are available to everyone, tires, wheels, batteries, you name it. Apple can order the same components as Tesla and have any number of manufacturers build it for them according to Apple's specs. The challenge is to be able to sell them at a profit. Tesla has hemorrhaged money, has billions of debt! That’s why traditional manufacturers have shied away from producing them. Now that costs are going down and consumer acceptance going up, they are all slowly starting up manufacturing.
The differentiation in electric cars will be the software and the interior/exterior design—Apple can dominate both areas. They will sub out the manufacturing like they do all of their products. They don’t need a dealer network, Tesla showed that, and they are also likely to simply lease their vehicles to Uber, fleets, etc.
Last edited:
Nobody will EVER have a self-driving car.
As much as Elon Musk wants us to believe his Teslas are self-driving, they’re not. They require an attentive driver behind the wheel, deflecting the liability responsibility to the driver. And there stands the reason why there won’t ever be a self-driving car. Liability!
No manufacturer, as crazy as their CEO might be, will take on that liability.
On the other hand, self-driving cars on a private network of roads is a possibility. Companies should be focusing on buying the land or the roads from the DOT before designing anything. Or convert carpool lanes to self-driving cars only. But that’s for sure not going to fly well with the public!
This might be the most ignorant (and most factually incorrect) comment I’ve read in 2020. There is so nice thing as an easy to produce automobile. On the flip side, it took Apple 3 years to fix the worst laptop keyboard (and the doubled down) in the history of computers.
Nah.
Tesla uses a 72W computer. Let's say Apple uses 10W. That's a rounding error for an 82 kWh battery in the Model 3. Whether Apple uses TSMC's 16nm process or 3nm won't make a difference. Not when typical EV batteries in 2025 will likely approach 100 kWh.
True but VW and Ford, amongst others, are coming out with what seem to be good electric vehicles and they have volume manufacturing expertise and capability that Tesla does not.
Manufacturing vehicles is not easy, as Tesla is finding out. Last time I checked Foxconn does not manufacture cars. Most of the Chinese manufacturers rely on European technology transfer and equipment e.g. ABB and Kuka robots.
But they don’t have a vertically integrated supply chain. Tesla controls their entire supply chain. This is a strategic advantage.