Apple's Automobile Project Said to Include Self-Driving Cars

[MacRumors]

Following up on yesterday's series of reports about a "top-secret research team" at Apple working on an electric car, Reuters now weighs in with its own source claiming the project involves a self-driving electric car.

Technology giant Apple is learning how to make a self-driving electric car and is talking to experts at carmakers and automotive suppliers, an automotive source familiar with the talks said on Saturday.

The Cupertino, California-based maker of phones, computers and watches is exploring how to make an entire vehicle, not just designing automotive software or individual components, the source said.

"They don't appear to want a lot of help from carmakers," the source, who declined to be named, said.

The source's of claim of self-driving capabilities for the vehicle directly contradicts yesterday's Wall Street Journal report, which specifically stated a self-driving car was not part of the effort. Reuters' source is from the automotive industry rather than at Apple directly, so it is unclear how complete the source's information is.

Apple would not be the only major technology company working on self-driving cars, as Google has been working on such a project for a number of years and has made significant progress in the area. Major car manufacturers are also working hard on technology that would make their cars at least somewhat autonomous.

Google's prototype self-driving car​

Yesterday's report from The Wall Street Journal provided a fair bit of detail on Apple's efforts, noting that Tim Cook approved the project last year. Former Ford engineer and longtime Apple design vice president Steve Zadesky given permission to build a team of up to 1,000 employees largely from within the company to work on the project at a Silicon Valley location separate from Apple's main campus.

Article Link: Apple's Automobile Project Said to Include Self-Driving Cars

 

[Crosscreek]

No more DUIs.

 

[viorelgn]

WOW i'm impressed

 

[keysofanxiety]

I wonder how many industries Apple and Google will have moved into in 10 years' time.

 

[diddl14]

No idea if this is true or not but I surely like the outlook to one day be able to say:

"Siri, bring me home!"​

 

[Chrjy]

If this really ends up being true I'll eat my own head!

 

[Crosscreek]

Going to need one of those inflatable people so I can travel in the car pool lane.

 

[lowercaseperson]

Still not convinced we know what Apple is actually doing, but with all these rumors surrounding Apple and an electric and/or self-driving car...you can bet Google et.al are kicking their R&D into high gear! The take home message I'm hearing is: fully automated cars may be here sooner than originally anticipated.

http://www.forbes.com/fdc/welcome_mjx_mobile.html

Bring it on

 

[nfl46]

Way to go, Apple! The future is looking bright: self-serving cars! I cannot wait until they become the standard. Maybe 10-15 years?

 

[nando87]

Apple would not be the only major technology company working on self-driving cars, as Google has been working on such a project for a number of years and has made significant progress in the area. Major car manufacturers are also working hard on technology that would make their cars at least somewhat autonomous.

Mercedes-Benz IS already selling a car which is autonomous under certain conditions.

This looks very strange, but I hope it's true and that it has a nice design.

 

[louiek]

Going to need one of those inflatable people so I can travel in the car pool lane.

Yeah....that's the only reason I have an inflatable person too.....

 

[Moonjumper]

It would be funny if some at Apple wanted self-driving cars, so made other car and tech companies accelerate their plans by giving the idea Apple were working on it.

There is a lot Apple could influence just by the idea that they might be researching that area. Perhaps that is why so much more goes into the design of TV's now.

 

[Rogifan]

So is this going to force Jony Ive to give up his Bentley? Can't imagine it's very eco-friendly.

 

[MacrumoursUser]

So sill the S version be faster every year?

 

[Traverse]

I'm glad to see Apple branching out. For a while it seemed like Google was in everything and Apple was stagnant.
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If it is self driving, I hope it isn't as buggy as iOS 8!

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So is this going to force Jony Ive to give up his Bentley? Can't imagine it's very eco-friendly.

It's not thin enough.

 

[Crosscreek]

Uber self driving pickup.

 

[Techpainter]

Just buy tesla

Tim..Tim? TIM…JUST BUY TESLA! The platform is already there for you to apple-ize. The world does not need another car company and you know that.

 

[8CoreWhore]

Don't forget, Elon Musk made the Tesla technology available for anyone to use free of charge. They have promised to not protect their patents.
http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/all-our-patent-are-belong-you

Tesla only makes expensive premium cars and people have assumed they'd make a car with this tech for the masses but Musk has shrugged off this notion, leaving that task to others.

Who? So far, no other car company I know of has taken Musk up on his offer to use this tech. Instead, they have been wasting their time developing their own systems, which, so far, have limited appeal and limited range, and perhaps too high of a price, and none of them have auto-pilot (limited assistance, not fully self-driving).

BTW, all Tesla cars in production include auto-pilot and is capable of software upgrades to make the car fully self-driving.

Apple would not have to develop their own technology, their own patents, for either the electric drive train or the autonomous features.

They may see an opportunity open to them to develop their version of what the world has been waiting for, a sub 20K USD fully electric car with plenty of range for the masses.

The media so far has confused the leaks about them developing a car with the stories about those vans shooting 3D street-view imaging. "Apple is developing a car... a van..."

Those vans are shooting Apple's version of Google's street view.

 

[Techpainter]

well said

Well said and agree with almost all of this. Thanks for a sane, rational post.

Don't forget, Elon Musk made the Tesla technology available for anyone to use free of charge. They have promised to not protect their patents.
http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/all-our-patent-are-belong-you

Tesla only makes expensive premium cars and people have assumed they'd make a car with this tech for the masses but Musk has shrugged off this notion, leaving that task to others.

Who? So far, no other car company I know of has taken Musk up on his offer to use this tech. Instead, they have been wasting their time developing their own systems, which, so far, have limited appeal and limited range, and perhaps too high of a price, and none of them have auto-pilot (limited assistance, not fully self-driving).

BTW, all Tesla cars in production include auto-pilot and is capable of software upgrades to make the car fully self-driving.

Apple would not have to develop their own technology, their own patents, for either the electric drive train or the autonomous features.

They may see an opportunity open to them to develop their version of what the world has been waiting for, a sub 20K USD fully electric car with plenty of range for the masses.

The media so far has confused the leaks about them developing a car with the stories about those vans shooting 3D street-view imaging. "Apple is developing a car... a van..."

Those vans are shooting Apple's version of Google's street view.

 

[hvfsl]

Apple like going into markets where the devices have poor user experiences and where they can see a way of making them much better (e.g. iPod, iPhone, iPad). So cars fit right in with that.

But while I am happy to pay £2000 for a new laptop every few years, I am not going to get a £40,000 car. So I can't see myself ever getting one of these.

 

[2457282]

Don't forget, Elon Musk made the Tesla technology available for anyone to use free of charge. They have promised to not protect their patents.
http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/all-our-patent-are-belong-you

Tesla only makes expensive premium cars and people have assumed they'd make a car with this tech for the masses but Musk has shrugged off this notion, leaving that task to others.

Who? So far, no other car company I know of has taken Musk up on his offer to use this tech. Instead, they have been wasting their time developing their own systems, which, so far, have limited appeal and limited range, and perhaps too high of a price, and none of them have auto-pilot (limited assistance, not fully self-driving).

BTW, all Tesla cars in production include auto-pilot and is capable of software upgrades to make the car fully self-driving.

Apple would not have to develop their own technology, their own patents, for either the electric drive train or the autonomous features.

They may see an opportunity open to them to develop their version of what the world has been waiting for, a sub 20K USD fully electric car with plenty of range for the masses.

The media so far has confused the leaks about them developing a car with the stories about those vans shooting 3D street-view imaging. "Apple is developing a car... a van..."

Those vans are shooting Apple's version of Google's street view.

your theory is very interesting. Apple OS X is based on an open-source version of Unix. So the thought that apple would take a "open-source" version of the electric car and make it there own is not that far fetched IMO.

 

[mozumder]

This is going to be the thinnest car ever.

 

[JAQ]

Apple would not be the only major technology company working on self-driving cars, as Google has been working on such a project for a number of years and has made significant progress in the area.

I think this is the key to understanding what's going on here. This (probably) isn't about Apple someday selling Cars at a dealership in the mall parking lot. Retail isn't the only arena where tech companies compete; they also compete in R&D and patents. (e.g. Google didn't buy Motorola Mobility for its share of the handset market, but to deny its extensive patent portfolio to other companies... or at least profit from licensing it.)

By developing patents in the automotive navigation field, Apple sets up roadblocks that will cost Google money to get around, either by requiring them to reinvent things differently, or by charging them to license Apple's solutions. Some of this might produce technology that can be applied to other products, like the Watch or Apple's general navigation services. And if the R&D goes well enough, Apple may even be in a position to offer automakers a complete alternative to licensing Google's self-driving technology. That's medium-term benefits with likely spin-offs and a potential long-term pay-off: the perfect type of blue-sky R&D project.

 

[mazz0]

I think it's 100% true, and what's more all the windows will be replaces with Apple TV sets.

In all seriousness, this is at least a fraction more believable than the idea that they're working on a car that ISN'T self driving!

 

[pdqgp]

Meh....no thanks. Not into putting my life in the hands of such a creation. Not sure I'd even want BMW's self parking car that comes to get you when you leave the store. Not to mention dealing with all the issues should there be an accident. Liability, insurance push-backs. Besides, I have way too much fun driving to take that experience away from myself.