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In January 2020, a man who identified himself as an Apple parts manager informed Japanese auto supplier Sanden that Apple wanted to make electric vehicles, and presented schematics of an electric vehicle and air conditioner parts, according to Nikkei Asia.

vanarama-apple-car-concept.jpg
Apple Car concept by Vanarama based on patents filed by Apple

Sanden is a leading manufacturer of air conditioner parts for vehicles, and Apple and Sanden went on to discuss specific parts requirements, the report claims. However, due to financial struggles worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, Sanden filed for debt restructuring with its creditors in June 2020 and the Apple Car talks apparently faded.

While the report does not provide any further details about the talks between the two companies, it lends further credence to Apple's long-rumored electric vehicle ambitions.

In November 2021, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple was accelerating its work on the project and aiming for an electric vehicle with full self-driving capabilities. Gurman said Apple was targeting a 2025 launch, but the project has faced numerous setbacks and key departures over the years, so the timeframe is not certain.

Article Link: Apple Car Schematics Reportedly Presented to Japanese Auto Parts Maker in 2020
 
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Realityck

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Nov 9, 2015
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but the project has allegedly faced numerous setbacks over the years, so a launch timeframe is not certain.
Like proving to the NHTSA that you have a car that doesn't need a driver at all times present in case something happens that is unexpected. I guess why would Apple want to step in the tar pit of autonomous cars unless they like lawsuits.
 
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It’s going to be forever till Apple car gets here. By then, Tesla would have taken the electric auto industry by a big margin. It’ll be very hard to catch up for Apple.

Meanwhile, Apple continues to lose more engineers.


 

nwcs

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I wonder what Apple would have to do to get me to consider them as a viable vehicle option? Of course it depends greatly upon what they ultimately reveal and price but even then I’d be very wary.

For all the hype Tesla still doesn’t strike me as reliable enough and ergonomic enough for my preferences. Getting closer but the enthusiasm for the Tesla seems to be outpacing the reality.
 

cmaier

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It’s going to be forever till Apple car gets here. By then, Tesla would have taken the electric auto industry by a big margin. It’ll be very hard to catch up for Apple.

Meanwhile, Apple continues to lose more engineers.


Apple continues to gain engineers, actually.

Did you also think Apple couldn’t make a dent in the phone industry? They came very late to that industry.
 
I wonder what Apple would have to do to get me to consider them as a viable vehicle option? Of course it depends greatly upon what they ultimately reveal and price but even then I’d be very wary.

For all the hype Tesla still doesn’t strike me as reliable enough and ergonomic enough for my preferences. Getting closer but the enthusiasm for the Tesla seems to be outpacing the reality.
It’s going to be the Apple software Eco system. That might be sufficient enough for you to get it. You know we are talking no keys required, use Face ID to start the vehicle, privacy, security, the long lasting battery maybe the Ceramic Shield window display. List goes on…
 
Apple continues to gain engineers, actually.

Did you also think Apple couldn’t make a dent in the phone industry? They came very late to that industry.
If the price is right I’ll be the first one to get it with my Apple Card.

Where? Do you know know high-level engineers personally that have been working on the Apple car?

You can’t compare phone industry to the auto industry. They don’t even go together. The auto-industry has been out in this world for over 100+ years.

You forced me to do another Google search and this is what came up 🤥

 
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skippermonkey

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Jun 23, 2003
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Increasingly the big differentiators in the EV market will be aesthetics and infotainment/connectivity. Currently, it‘s mostly about performance and range, but these will cease to be a factor over time, as motors and batteries improve. I’m about to swap my I-Pace for an i4 M50, not because of of better range, but because BMW’s tech is way better than Jag’s. (Personally I think autonomous, fully self-driving cars are still years away, thanks to laws, regulations, insurance etc etc.)
 

alpi123

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Jun 18, 2014
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If the price is right I’ll be the first one to get it with my Apple Card.

Where? Do you know know high-level engineers personally that have been working on the Apple car?

You can’t compare phone industry to the auto industry. They don’t even go together. The auto-industry has been out in this world for over 100+ years.

You forced me to do another Google search and this is what came up 🤥

Do you really think when an engineer leaves the company, Apple would just sit and do nothing? Lol, of course they would hire more engineers.
 
Do you really think when an engineer leaves the company, Apple would just sit and do nothing? Lol, of course they would hire more engineers.
I never said Apple wouldn’t do anything but it‘s going to take a long time for Apple to catch up. Losing engineers definitely delays the progress.

Hopefully when Apple car is announced you will be getting it with me :cool:
 

lkrupp

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Jul 24, 2004
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I am sooooo... tired of seeing some loser’s rendering of what an iCar might look like. If the actual product comes anywhere close to looking like these renders will the one who made it claim Apple stole their design and sue? <sarcasm>
 

Realityck

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Nov 9, 2015
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At CES, tech alliances firm up in the self-driving car wars - AutoBlog 1/9
Auto companies and tech firms are cozying up

Major automakers like General Motors, Ford and Volvo deepened ties with key technology partners this week to gird for the fight against electric car challenger Tesla Inc and Apple Inc as it revs up to enter the market.

Three chip firms - Intel Corp's Mobileye, Qualcomm and Nvidia - have emerged from a raft of announcements at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas as the leaders in locking down the brains of self-driving cars for the next decade.

The deals involve consolidating scores of older, slower chips into more powerful centralized computers. But to win them, the chip firms have had to consent to letting automakers control key parts of the technology.

Reuters has previously reported that Apple plans an electric car. Bloomberg reported last year that the iPhone maker is aiming for full self-driving capabilities as early as 2025.

For automakers facing Apple and Tesla, the stakes are high. In addition to electrifying their models, automakers are essentially designing computers with increasing self-driving capabilities.

That means a big opportunity for automakers to make money off software and services in cars long after vehicles roll off a dealer's lot, but only if they can keep the customer relationships and data for themselves, the way that Tesla and Apple do.

Automakers "that haven't been the pioneers are finally realizing they're going to be left in the dust if they don't change their approach," said Danny Shapiro, vice president, automotive for Nvidia, a maker of high-powered chips."
 
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Cosmosent

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Apr 20, 2016
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The recent Engineering defections told me everything I need to know about the possibility of an Apple Car happening anytime soon.

And, I don't think any of their Apple Car leads have ANY hands-on experience, in ICEs or otherwise !

Apple would have been wise to make an Apple Race Car first, so they could learn what it takes !
 

Spanky Deluxe

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Mar 17, 2005
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I think it’ll be a while until Apple actually enters the market and when they do, it’ll be a revolution because a revolution is certainly coming. I’m guessing they’re best tactic will be entering the market with a car that has level 4 autonomous driving. Level 4 means it can be ‘mind off’ i.e. the driver can be asleep or facing away from the front etc. At that point, cars are no longer about how they are to drive and are instead about how they are to *be* in. It’ll be about making cars a nice place to work, play and relax. It’ll be about clawing those commute hours back and making them usable for other purposes.

Tesla’s at level 2 right now (some call it level 2.5) which means you can take your hands off the wheel but you’re not allowed to take your eyes off the road. Eyes off comes with level 3, which is what should be coming to cars over the next year although it looks like Tesla will be lagging behind the likes of Audi and BMW in that regard. You still have to stay awake and you need to be able to take control of the car within a reasonable timeframe (not instantaneous) and while a car is under level 3 driving, it’s the car maker that should cover any insurance claims. Level 4 is a while off but how long exactly likely depends on how well level 3 cars do and how widespread they become as all of that sensory data will be used to work for level 4.
 

Quu

macrumors 68040
Apr 2, 2007
3,419
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I think this lives or dies on contract manufacturing.

The question is which car manufacturer has the scale to deliver on an Apple car without hurting their own car sales? - It's not like with Foxconn, Pegatron and Winstron who Apple use to make their current products. Those guys don't make and sell their own computers, phones, tablets.

Which manufacturer can you think of that makes cars for everyone else and not for themselves? - Why do you think Tesla had to build their own factories instead of simply having GM, Ford, Nissan or another big player make their cars for them?

This is the biggest thing Apple has to solve. Will Foxconn make car factories for Apple? is the opportunity that financially lucrative? - All questions that need answers.
 
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jz0309

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Apple continues to gain engineers, actually.

Did you also think Apple couldn’t make a dent in the phone industry? They came very late to that industry.
Even Tesla is not really making a "dent" in car sales in the US really ... if you only count luxury cars, yes ...
yes, Tesla is the EV leader, but the traditional car manufacturers are in catch-up mode and they will make EVs affordable
 

anthogag

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Jan 15, 2015
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If Sony can make their EV vehicle, Apple can also do it. I think it would be interesting to see Sony and Apple EV vehicles driving around town.

If Apple decides to shelve EV vehicle plans they could make an EV Apple scooter.
 

jz0309

Contributor
Sep 25, 2018
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If the price is right I’ll be the first one to get it with my Apple Card.

Where? Do you know know high-level engineers personally that have been working on the Apple car?

You can’t compare phone industry to the auto industry. They don’t even go together. The auto-industry has been out in this world for over 100+ years.

You forced me to do another Google search and this is what came up 🤥

I'm not really worried about this "employee turnover", it's overhyped by the media, back 20 or so years ago, a 5% turnover rate was considered normal, nowadays, esp in Silicon Valley, it's much higher ...
 

nwcs

macrumors 68030
Sep 21, 2009
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It’s going to be the Apple software Eco system. That might be sufficient enough for you to get it. You know we are talking no keys required, use Face ID to start the vehicle, privacy, security, the long lasting battery maybe the Ceramic Shield window display. List goes on…
Possibly but, assuming that is true, what would be the price point and quality? That is going to make or break it.
 

joshseibert

macrumors member
Dec 23, 2016
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I used to have a hard time imagining how a car could ever feel modern, the way Apple products do. Cars, to me, always seem to be stuck in the last generation of design language.

But I now see it in vehicles like Rivian. I’m excited for what Apple does — if it happens.
 
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