Apple Confirms Acquisition of Self-Driving Vehicle Startup Drive.ai

[MacRumors]

Apple purchased Drive.ai, an autonomous driving startup based out of Mountain View, the company confirmed to Axios today.

Apple has hired dozens of Drive.ai engineers, and Drive.ai has ceased all operations over the course of the last few weeks.

Rumors in early June suggested Apple was in the process of acquiring Drive.ai to boost its in-house development of a self-driving vehicle system.

The deal at the time was described as an acqui-hire, suggesting Apple was interested in the company for its employees rather than its technology.

Drive.ai was first founded in 2015 by a group of Stanford University students, and launched a self-driving shuttle service in select cities in Texas. The company ran into difficulties, however, and sought out a buyer, which turned out to be Apple.

There's no word on the purchase price, but Axios says Apple has taken on new hires in the areas of engineering and product design.

Rumors have suggested that as part of its self-driving car efforts, Apple is working on a self-driving campus shuttle service to drive employees between the company's various Bay Area offices.

Apple's Drive.ai acquisition confirms that work on the Apple Car project is still underway. Apple in February laid off 190 employees in its self-driving car division as part of a restructuring effort.

Article Link: Apple Confirms Acquisition of Self-Driving Vehicle Startup Drive.ai

 

[krusnof]

I read this an hour ago: https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/25/18758820/drive-ai-self-driving-startup-shutting-down-apple

 

[Morgenland]

I'm curious to see whether Apple will integrate the most environmentally friendly and recource-friendly type of propulsion into its innovative fleet: A hydrogen combustion engine (not a fuel cell). Solar farms will generate the electricity needed to generate hydrogen in an environmentally friendly way. For large farms, this electricity is up to 10 x cheaper to produce than conventional electricity.
This technology is now likely to be developed/implemented in Europe. Many experts there regard the electric car with fuel cell as an environmentally harmful, transitional technology.

Interestingly enough, many years ago in europe a brilliant idea was killed by lobbying (i.e. politically motivated): You can google "desertec".
Now humankind may get the chance to generate environmentally friendly and very cheap solar electricity again, because the coal and nuclear lobbyists are no longer as strong as they used to be.

Fuelling with hydrogen only takes minutes, charging fuel cells with electricity takes hours...

If service providers then differ in the drive technologies, competition will arise. IMO in this case this is really good.

 

[Anarchy99]

I read this an hour ago

and yet the macrumors bot was the 1st to post it here.

way to drop the ball

 

[nazaar]

I read this an hour ago: https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/25/18758820/drive-ai-self-driving-startup-shutting-down-apple

Some one is reporting inaccurate information.

 

[Anarchy99]

I'm curious to see whether Apple will integrate the most environmentally friendly and recource-friendly type of propulsion into its fleet: A hydrogen combustion engine (not a fuel cell). Solar cells can generate the electricity needed to generate it in an environmentally friendly way.

the problem i see with that is the fact is it still uses roughly 4X the electricity to generate that hydrogen, so at that point why do hydrogen in the 1st place the electric car is the more energy conscious option

 

[Khedron]

I'm curious to see whether Apple will integrate the most environmentally friendly and recource-friendly type of propulsion into its fleet: A hydrogen combustion engine (not a fuel cell). Solar farms will generate the electricity needed to generate it in an environmentally friendly way.
This technology is likely to be developed/implemented in Europe. The electric car with fuel cell is regarded there as an environmentally damaging transitional technology.

Tim has teamed up with Trump and Goldman Sachs, what makes you think he won't partner with oil companies?

 

[Morgenland]

Tim has teamed up with Trump and Goldman Sachs, what makes you think he won't partner with oil companies?

Optimism ;-)
The belief in a better world does not always have to come from naivety.
On the contrary, this time there are simply technical facts, and this time the competition for efficient energy is decided anew in international competition.

Nations that rely on oil and coal will lose. Even guys like Trump are clear about that.

 

[mattyj2001]

Now humankind may get the chance to generate environmentally friendly and very cheap solar electricity again, because the coal and nuclear lobbyists are no longer as strong as they used to be.

You must live in Europe. The US has a very coal-friendly baffoon in the White House. If anything, US production of coal will be ramping up in the near term.

 

[Glockworkorange]

I read this an hour ago: https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/25/18758820/drive-ai-self-driving-startup-shutting-down-apple

The Verge is trash. I’m much happier to read my Apple news here at Macrumors.
[doublepost=1561509198][/doublepost]

You must live in Europe. The US has a very coal-friendly baffoon in the White House. If anything, US production of coal will be ramping up in the near term.

Is it possible to talk about driverless car technology without bashing the president? Have we really gotten to the point where everything HAS to be political? Do you feel better now that you got that shot in and off your chest?

 

[Morgenland]

You must live in Europe. The US has a very coal-friendly baffoon in the White House. If anything, US production of coal will be ramping up in the near term.

I do...
And I've heard of it. Of course these groups of voters are being addressed and the lobby might still be very strong in the US.
But if one wants to lead a nation into the future, he/she will break old traditions. All arguments of the old lobbyists are becoming more and more ridiculous as technology develops. Good leaders/politicians will take this into account, hopefully.

Besides, America is about to have another election. And then we will see whether it will decide for a globally dying out system in energy technology. Or not.

 

[DocMultimedia]

This story sure flipped quickly from Apple hires 5, to Apple bought the whole thing. On many websites. Guess someone didn't know something.

 

[Morgenland]

The Verge is trash. I’m much happier to read my Apple news here at Macrumors.
[doublepost=1561509198][/doublepost]
Is it possible to talk about driverless car technology without bashing the president? Have we really gotten to the point where everything HAS to be political? Do you feel better now that you got that shot in and off your chest?

With energy, neither the customer nor reason decides.
Deciding for or against technology is always political. Unfortunately. Especially a president does not wind out of responsibility, no matter if Dems or Reps.

 

[krusnof]

The Verge is trash. I’m much happier to read my Apple news here at Macrumors.
[doublepost=1561509198][/doublepost]
Is it possible to talk about driverless car technology without bashing the president? Have we really gotten to the point where everything HAS to be political? Do you feel better now that you got that shot in and off your chest?

Not to nitpick but it was also reported (probably through bot service) by: VentureBeat, TechCrunch, SF Chronicles and more. Someone got wrong info at the wrong moment.

 

[m0sher]

Take note folks, this is the beginning where Apple Cars gets its start.

 

[krusnof]

Not to nitpick but it was also reported (probably through bot service) by: VentureBeat, TechCrunch, SF Chronicles and more. Someone got wrong info at the wrong moment.

I misunderstood part of the article from SF “Apple said Tuesday it had acquired Mountain View self-driving startup Drive.ai, even as the smaller company told state officials it planned to close its business and lay off 90 workers by Friday in a permanent closure of its business.”. Closed and transferred.

 

[JetTester]

Politics aside, it won’t matter what Apple does, they are “doomed”.

 

[Exile714]

Not to nitpick but it was also reported (probably through bot service) by: VentureBeat, TechCrunch, SF Chronicles and more. Someone got wrong info at the wrong moment.

What did it say before? Because looking at The Verge now I don’t see anything inconsistent with what MacRumors is reporting.

 

[krusnof]

What did it say before? Because looking at The Verge now I don’t see anything inconsistent with what MacRumors is reporting.

They changed it. You can see the main theme from the URL title.

 

[now i see it]

my prediction for this enormous bottomless pit they've gotten themselves into is it will ultimately all amount to nothing.

Autonomous driving technology isn't like CarPlay where a car manufacturer can shoehorn it into the dash. It freaking controls everything about the car. I can't see any car manufacturer in the future giving up total control of their vehicle to Apple. And I really can't see Apple becoming a car manufacturer.
An Car?

 

[Glockworkorange]

With energy, neither the customer nor reason decides.
Deciding for or against technology is always political. Unfortunately. Especially a president does not wind out of responsibility, no matter if Dems or Reps.

The story about Apple buying a small, self driving start up warrants a shot at the President of the United States?

Sure, friend, sure.

 

[jonblatho]

Seems like The Verge took Drive.ai shutting down to mean that everyone was getting laid off and the deal with Apple fell through, effectively reporting speculation as fact.

Had to be horrible for the engineers and their families, some of whom likely found out from The Verge that they were losing their jobs, when they weren’t, as they most likely had no clue of the existence or status of any acquisition deal with Apple beyond what had already been reported publicly.

 

[nitramluap]

Here's a crazy idea... build a world where you don't need cars much at all. This obsession with cars - autonomous or otherwise - is not healthy.

I'd rather catch a nice train, with a driver up front with skin in the game.

 

[Brien]

[Illustrator joke goes here.]

 

[Mansu944]

I'm curious to see whether Apple will integrate the most environmentally friendly and recource-friendly type of propulsion into its innovative fleet: A hydrogen combustion engine (not a fuel cell). Solar farms will generate the electricity needed to generate hydrogen in an environmentally friendly way. For large farms, this electricity is up to 10 x cheaper to produce than conventional electricity.
This technology is now likely to be developed/implemented in Europe. Many experts there regard the electric car with fuel cell as an environmentally harmful, transitional technology.

Interestingly enough, many years ago in europe a brilliant idea was killed by lobbying (i.e. politically motivated): You can google "desertec".
Now humankind may get the chance to generate environmentally friendly and very cheap solar electricity again, because the coal and nuclear lobbyists are no longer as strong as they used to be.

Fuelling with hydrogen only takes minutes, charging fuel cells with electricity takes hours...

If service providers then differ in the drive technologies, competition will arise. IMO in this case this is really good.

.

Are you using that word right? A fuel cell MAKES electricity. You don’t charge a fuel cell.
[doublepost=1561522157][/doublepost]

Here's a crazy idea... build a world where you don't need cars much at all. This obsession with cars - autonomous or otherwise - is not healthy.

I'd rather catch a nice train, with a driver up front with skin in the game.

Where in the world do you live that you think this would work for everyone? Most of the US is NOT urban you know.