I agree. It's even worse being the one having to write about it constantly for 8 years. I'm so over the Apple Car rumors.
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Apple Car Design Goals: No Steering Wheel or Brake Pedal, Flat Seats for Sleeping, Large Screens, and More
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That would be up where the rearview mirror used to be.
Seats facing inward towards each other? Sounds like they are expecting level 5 autonomy.
Ummmm....no thanks. I can just see this now...Siri is still in beta after a decade, so if you rely on it to override anything, it will do the wrong thing or strand you.
Other things I can see happening here:
- the dashboard shuts off after 10 seconds when the battery goes below 20%, forcing you to keep touching it
- charging cord frays after one year, forcing a replacement you can only buy at an Apple Store
- if you want to go anywhere you haven't gone before, you have to type a password
- a valet couldn't make it do anything since it would probably require FaceID
- if you wanted to drive anywhere without your iPhone on you, it wouldn't let you
- all the panels on it would be super thin, possibly even bending under the wrong conditions
I'd rather drive a 1980 Chevy Citation over this thing.
Other things I can see happening here:
- the dashboard shuts off after 10 seconds when the battery goes below 20%, forcing you to keep touching it
- charging cord frays after one year, forcing a replacement you can only buy at an Apple Store
- if you want to go anywhere you haven't gone before, you have to type a password
- a valet couldn't make it do anything since it would probably require FaceID
- if you wanted to drive anywhere without your iPhone on you, it wouldn't let you
- all the panels on it would be super thin, possibly even bending under the wrong conditions
I'd rather drive a 1980 Chevy Citation over this thing.
This is where I call BS on the story.
And I have evidence.
You know where the evidence is?
It’s in a TV show on Apple TV right now.
Apple funded TV show.
It’s called For All Mankind.
This engineer he makes the shuttle completely automated with touch screens only.
The astronaut commander looks at it.
He says what the MF is this crap. I need manual controls in case the system crashes.
The engineer says oh **** you’re right. I’ll redesign the whole thing.
If Apple is going for a genuine driverless car, where it turns up to your door and someone who cannot legally drive can get in and sleep until they reach their destination, then this is decades away. at least 4 or 5 decades. We're so far away from the kind of AI that can do this, let alone the infrastructure or even the legislation required to support this.
Sure you could have a specific road in one part of (probably California) that gives a trial license on one route, but sharing a lane with manually driven cars is a legal minefield, so even then it would have to be dedicated route like a busway.
Every year we're told a self-driving car is 2-3 years away. Especially by folks like Musk who want us to buy into the idea that it's just around the corner with a software update. It isn't.
Sure you could have a specific road in one part of (probably California) that gives a trial license on one route, but sharing a lane with manually driven cars is a legal minefield, so even then it would have to be dedicated route like a busway.
Every year we're told a self-driving car is 2-3 years away. Especially by folks like Musk who want us to buy into the idea that it's just around the corner with a software update. It isn't.
I see a lot of naysayers here. Remember, the iPhone started out in ONE country with ONE service provider and expanded to be a world phone with lots of providers today.
The Apple Car could start out in one city with the only service being taxiing people from one place to another within the city. If they started in New York, they could map out literally every square inch of the roadways and offer shuttling services for people wanting to go from point A to point B within the limits of the Apple Car's driving map. For this kind of service, there would be no need for a driver, steering wheel, or brake pedal. Apple could then expand to other cities.
I believe in the future, most individuals are not going to own cars. Cars will become autonomous shuttle vehicles. No more need for huge parking lots, driveways, or garages. You'll just tell your phone, "I need a ride to [X location]," and a driverless shuttle car will arrive within two minutes to take you. When you are done, you will say, "I need a ride home," and another car will arrive quickly to take you home. I think Apple sees this future and is not creating a car to be owned by individuals.
The Apple Car could start out in one city with the only service being taxiing people from one place to another within the city. If they started in New York, they could map out literally every square inch of the roadways and offer shuttling services for people wanting to go from point A to point B within the limits of the Apple Car's driving map. For this kind of service, there would be no need for a driver, steering wheel, or brake pedal. Apple could then expand to other cities.
I believe in the future, most individuals are not going to own cars. Cars will become autonomous shuttle vehicles. No more need for huge parking lots, driveways, or garages. You'll just tell your phone, "I need a ride to [X location]," and a driverless shuttle car will arrive within two minutes to take you. When you are done, you will say, "I need a ride home," and another car will arrive quickly to take you home. I think Apple sees this future and is not creating a car to be owned by individuals.
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Give me a car with a steering wheel any day—and certainly not a yoke. While this car is learning how to navigate the busy shopping centre car park I'm out of my car and on my way. Cars that do things automatically will by their nature do them slowly. Besides, who in fact wants to be staring at all the passengers in their car? The good thing about driving is looking out the window at the world and looking where you are going. As you're moving forward you're always seeing new things.
Cars can park themselves now. Do people still choose to manually park their car? Yes they do. Why? Because it's quicker and more satisfying. In my ideal car world automation is used mostly for additional safety for when an animal or person jumps out in front of you, for example. Not for all of the driving of your car. People like driving cars. It's an experience. Let's go for a Sunday drive. Driving gives a car soul and gives the driver a sense of freedom. Many cars have automatic tailgates, but many people myself included prefer manual tailgates because they save money, are more reliable and it's quicker doing it yourself. Imagine a Porsche Taycan without a steering wheel? Yuck.
Will there eventually be cars without steering wheels? Obviously there will be. If they take over the roads will that be a better world? I would argue no. Going for a drive would be like you're still at home in your living room. While I'm sure that could be cosy, something fundamental will be lost. Our connection to the world? Our sense of independence and identity? Hmm. Convenience your life away is the phrase that comes to mind. Just imagine for a moment going to the beach and the car parks where you don't want to. You find yourself in your own car saying "no, I wanted to be over there". Then you have to tell the car to park over there. There's no true flow like there would be if you were in control of the experience entirely. Hmm. Having your car fully drive itself should always be optionally. Not a requirement. Automation should help prevent accidents. Cars should continue to have steering wheels.
There’s a beach near where I live and everyone always physically parks on the beach when the tide is out. Is the beach a road? Technically, no. Will an Apple car allow you to park there? Will it put you exactly in the spot you want on that day? Imagine going somewhere with these questions and hoping for this stuff?
Back in my day we could just park wherever we wanted.
That must have been great, Grandad.
Yes it was. It was better.
Cars can park themselves now. Do people still choose to manually park their car? Yes they do. Why? Because it's quicker and more satisfying. In my ideal car world automation is used mostly for additional safety for when an animal or person jumps out in front of you, for example. Not for all of the driving of your car. People like driving cars. It's an experience. Let's go for a Sunday drive. Driving gives a car soul and gives the driver a sense of freedom. Many cars have automatic tailgates, but many people myself included prefer manual tailgates because they save money, are more reliable and it's quicker doing it yourself. Imagine a Porsche Taycan without a steering wheel? Yuck.
Will there eventually be cars without steering wheels? Obviously there will be. If they take over the roads will that be a better world? I would argue no. Going for a drive would be like you're still at home in your living room. While I'm sure that could be cosy, something fundamental will be lost. Our connection to the world? Our sense of independence and identity? Hmm. Convenience your life away is the phrase that comes to mind. Just imagine for a moment going to the beach and the car parks where you don't want to. You find yourself in your own car saying "no, I wanted to be over there". Then you have to tell the car to park over there. There's no true flow like there would be if you were in control of the experience entirely. Hmm. Having your car fully drive itself should always be optionally. Not a requirement. Automation should help prevent accidents. Cars should continue to have steering wheels.
There’s a beach near where I live and everyone always physically parks on the beach when the tide is out. Is the beach a road? Technically, no. Will an Apple car allow you to park there? Will it put you exactly in the spot you want on that day? Imagine going somewhere with these questions and hoping for this stuff?
Back in my day we could just park wherever we wanted.
That must have been great, Grandad.
Yes it was. It was better.
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This is fantasy. If you really want to get a sense of where we are with autonomous driving check out Snazzy Lab's YouTube channel. Quinn did a video where he tested his Tesla's self-driving mode. It ran 2 stop signs and failed to make turns twice (? I think) where it either drove up on the curb or would have had Quinn not intervened. We are decades away from any such technology, if we ever see it. Plus, this is in good weather. I'm from the upper Midwest where almost half the year the sensors on these vehicles would be useless due to snow and ice.
I'm all for sleeping in a car, but only until every single car is autonomous and forced to strictly adhere to the rules of the road. (whether that be no more human drivers at all or autonomous only roads separated from normal drivers etc) There's absolutely no way I would trust a self driving car on our roads the way things are now, people are awful drivers and I can't even imagine trying to sleep in a car with these maniacs out there on the road. Pretty much feel the same way about not being able to drive an autonomous vehicle at all while there are still human operated vehicles on the road. Making driving a pleasant trip where you just sit there and chill is certainly a worthwhile goal but that can't work without seperate roads or the elimination of human drivers all together. (good luck with that one any time soon)
This makes a lot of sense to me. Apple isn't designing a vehicle for now, they're designing it for the future of transportation. That future isn't a bunch of emotional meat bags driving around 5000 pound projectiles. I imagine this car isn't coming out anytime soon. Maybe we get a teaser at some point but not the real thing. They're designing a culture change, its going to take time. I also wouldn't be surprised if Tesla, Ford, GM, Toyota, etc are working on the same sort of concepts, they just have other things that are more relevant to now that get talked about.
I just got in an accident last week and it was stupid. There were clear lane markings and signs in a construction zone but the dumb wit that hit me decided they wanted to turn left anyway (double yellow, no left turn sign). I'm looking forward to when this isn't a thing.
I just got in an accident last week and it was stupid. There were clear lane markings and signs in a construction zone but the dumb wit that hit me decided they wanted to turn left anyway (double yellow, no left turn sign). I'm looking forward to when this isn't a thing.
That's assuming your reflexes are better than a computer. With the currently available tech I'd say they are, but that won't be forever.
So 100% autonomous. Before this becomes legal you’re going to have to do years of road testing, like waymo and others are doing in SF and Phoenix. We will see this “car” 5 years before you can buy it…
Apple will not build a car, a service I can see, but not a car for individuals
Apple will not build a car, a service I can see, but not a car for individuals
Sounds like a car one rides in rather than a car one drives. Sounds an awful lot like what Tesla have been working towards for over a decade.
Comparing a phone to a fully autonomous car is a terrible comparison.
Apple isn’t going to make this available worldwide or even countrywide in one year. There are jurisdictions where self driving cars are permitted. For example, Ontario is getting ahead of this and wants to be a pioneering leader in the space. Legislation is already in place to roll out self driving lanes on highways once the technology is mature and turned on in existing cars with that capability.
You wear the AR/VR(/MR?) headset and it drives where you look 😱
I worry less about the computer and more about the other drivers still operating their own vehicle. Just because the computer will have better reflexes than me eventually doesn't mean other people can't cause accidents because of their poor driving. I'm all for self driving cars but if there's still a lot of human drivers out there I at least want an emergency steering wheel, brake, etc lol.
Dunno about you, but my (normal) car already comes with a notch containing a camera array.
Man, Ive’s departure is one of the best things to ever happen to Apple in the last years. He was instrumental in the early stages, but once the technology matured he was a menace with his style-over-function approach.
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