Apple Car Talks With Daimler and BMW Fell Apart Over Leadership Issues, iCloud

[MacRumors]

Apple has been unable to establish a deal with Daimler and BMW over a possible manufacturing deal for the Apple Car, reports German news site Handelsblatt. Apple is said to be seeking a partner that could potentially help it produce the Apple Car, as Apple has no experience with vehicle production.

Talks with Daimler and BMW reportedly ended because there were questions over who would lead the project and which company would have ownership over data. Apple is said to be holding out for deep iCloud integration.

A Magna Steyr conceptual vehicle from 2012​

Apple wants the car to be closely built into its own cloud software, while the German carmakers have made customer data protection a key element of their future strategy.

The talks with BMW collapsed last year, while those with Daimler collapsed more recently, the sources said.

Rumors last year suggested Apple was considering using the BMW i3 as the basis for its electric car project, but as was mentioned today and in past rumors, Apple's talks with BMW fell apart after just a few months. Additional rumors have speculated Apple and BMW could resume talks at a later date, and Apple is also said to be in talks with Magna Steyr. Apple executives have visited Austria to speak with Magna Steyr and there's not yet any indication that those talks have come to an end. Today's report suggests Magna Steyr is the frontrunner to work with Apple on manufacturing the so-called Apple Car.

Apple's car project is focused on creating an electric car, which may or may not include self-driving capabilities. Such a vehicle will likely interface with the iPhone and other Apple services, but beyond the fact that a car is in development, little is known about the project.

Hundreds of employees are working on the car, at secret locations rumored to be located in Sunnyvale, California and Berlin, Germany. Apple is said to be aiming to complete work on the car in 2019 or 2020.

Article Link: Apple Car Talks With Daimler and BMW Fell Apart Over Leadership Issues, iCloud

 

[ghost187]

Is that concept the Earth Day edition or the 420 edition

 

[DCYorke]

We're supposed to believe that BMW cares more about privacy than Apple? I'm not saying it's impossible, it just seems unlikely. That's not to say that BMW doesn't care about privacy, but Apple certainly has a strong record.

 

[Markoth]

We're supposed to believe that BMW cares more about privacy than Apple? I'm not saying it's impossible, it just seems unlikely. That's not to say that BMW doesn't care about privacy, but Apple certainly has a strong record.

One could say many things about the Germans... But they sure do value their privacy. I'd believe it, honestly.

 

[smithrh]

We're supposed to believe that BMW cares more about privacy than Apple? I'm not saying it's impossible, it just seems unlikely. That's not to say that BMW doesn't care about privacy, but Apple certainly has a strong record.

Exactly.

A few years ago, BMW built an entire complex to store collected telematics data from BMWs.

Now, they do operate under much-more-strict EU privacy guidelines and rules, but why collect it if you're not going to use it?

When I get around to it, I'll be having my car's telematics coded off. I'm years out of warrantee, I don't need to get notices in the mail when I pass service thresholds.

 

[ike1707]

Is that concept the Earth Day edition or the 420 edition

I see you, you slyboots

 

[zahuh]

I love being alive now and seeing all this stuff get (re)invented but damn, sometimes I wish you could just put me to sleep and wake me up in 2025 so I can see what the hell happened "faster."

 

[2457282]

It makes a whole lot of sense for Apple to get into the car business the same way it got into the phone business. Back then we had the Motorola ROKR with itunes. Once they figured it all out we got the iphone. Same here, work with an established company first, figure it out, and then come out with something. Carplay needs a lot of growing up before a car can be built around it, IMHO.

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

They could ask Ford.

 

[Mebsat]

On one hand, the thought of poorly designed internal computing and nav from car companies makes me excited to see what Apple can bring to the table. On the other hand, their laughable execution in web services from .mac forward makes me cringe at the thought of having any part of a moving vehicle reliant on iCloud.

 

[Art Mark]

We're supposed to believe that BMW cares more about privacy than Apple? I'm not saying it's impossible, it just seems unlikely. That's not to say that BMW doesn't care about privacy, but Apple certainly has a strong record.

Exactly. That made me think this story is coming with a political slant, whoever started it. Apple would most likely not want to share customer data with outside companies, and that's where they would fight about it.

 

[jimbobb24]

Are Apple Eurocentrists or racists? What about Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Hundei, Deawoo? Tata? Lots of people make cars, even high end cars. Lots of people have battery experience.

 

[kyleh22]

BMW stores everything about your driving habits on your car key. They upload the information to their central server when you go to the dealer. At least this is how the dealership explained it to me.

 

[TheShadowKnows!]

We're supposed to believe that BMW cares more about privacy than Apple? I'm not saying it's impossible, it just seems unlikely. That's not to say that BMW doesn't care about privacy, but Apple certainly has a strong record.

I read between the lines.

It is probably that Apple is seen by the Germans as wannabes, as minor partners without credentials, and as uninvited barbarians knocking at the door.

On an aside, Magna's conceptual render is unapologetically fluorescent. LOL!

 

[2457282]

I love being alive now and seeing all this stuff get (re)invented but damn, sometimes I wish you could just put me to sleep and wake me up in 2025 so I can see what the hell happened "faster."

When I was a kid, it was a big deal that we got a 20inch black and white television set. Since then and now I have seen so many things come and go. Trust me when I say you do not need to sleep, thing are happening too fast. Our laws, ethics, philosophies, or religions are not able to keep up with the speed of change as it is.

 

[smithrh]

BMW stores everything about your driving habits on your car key. They upload the information to their central server when you go to the dealer. At least this is how the dealership explained it to me.

This is also done, although I doubt it's very extensive.

 

[pat500000]

BMW stores everything about your driving habits on your car key. They upload the information to their central server when you go to the dealer. At least this is how the dealership explained it to me.

Why would they do that?

 

[macfacts]

We're supposed to believe that BMW cares more about privacy than Apple? I'm not saying it's impossible, it just seems unlikely. That's not to say that BMW doesn't care about privacy, but Apple certainly has a strong record.

I always read on these forums that Google sells your data, so how much do I have to pay Google (or BMW) to get information on a specific person?

 

[Rogifan]

This whole report seems like BS. Especially when the CEO of Daimler said they're not going to become the Foxconn of auto makers. And the auto makers allegedly backing out because of privacy concerns? With Apple? Not buying it.

 

[avanpelt]

I could see an Apple/Tesla partnership sometime in the future in order to get a vehicle produced. Wouldn't that be a fascinating turn of events?

 

[69Mustang]

We're supposed to believe that BMW cares more about privacy than Apple? I'm not saying it's impossible, it just seems unlikely. That's not to say that BMW doesn't care about privacy, but Apple certainly has a strong record.

You're looking at the privacy issue through the wrong lens as it relates to BMW and Daimler. They each want to quarterback the project because they are looking beyond the Apple project. They would want some of the developed technologies to propagate through their product lines. Car companies don't normally develop technologies with heightened specificity. They develop with the thought that tech will trickle down from their flagships to their "budget" offerings. With Apple heading the project they would be basically relegated to the role of contract manufacturer (like the company Magna Steyr from the article). As stated in the article, Apple is looking for iCloud integration into the systems (which I would want if I was Apple). There's no benefit to BMW/Daimler in that scenario. That's exactly why companies like Magna exist.

 

[iReality85]

Whether it's cable packages or automobiles, Apple is finding out the hard way: the infrastructure and means of production for deeply entrenched industries is frustratingly difficult to control.

If they want to do things their way, maybe Apple should use some (or all) of that $200B war chest and buy out these companies.

 

[nutmac]

Talks with Daimler and BMW reportedly ended because there were questions over who would lead the project and which company would have ownership over data. Apple is said to be holding out for deep iCloud integration.

I don't get it. If all Daimler or BMW are doing is manufacturing, why would they care about iCloud or whatever technology is behind Apple Car?

I call BS, but if the article does have some truth to it, I suspect it's more of a partnership than Apple's own car.

 

[verpeiler]

BMW stores everything about your driving habits on your car key. They upload the information to their central server when you go to the dealer. At least this is how the dealership explained it to me.

This sounds like you mean GPS-data.. but afaik that's not true. But there are lots of thing stored on it, like car repair shop intervals, current gas in tank, air condition settings and so on..

 

[Chatter]

Are Apple Eurocentrists or racists? What about Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Hundei, Deawoo? Tata? Lots of people make cars, even high end cars. Lots of people have battery experience.

Woah - chill there tiger. Lets not go from zero to racism in under 5.
Has anyone claimed Apple is NOT talking to the non-europeans? Actually, has anyone at Apple stated that they HAVE talked to anyone?