Apple Confirms Interest in Autonomous Cars in Letter to Federal Regulators

[dorsal]

A low-volume manufacturer is someone who builds less than 5,000 vehicles a year. The rule seeks to manage "garage start-ups", not to pick on Apple. It's a reasonable request.
Besides, if that low volume manufacturer means to get into the car biz, they better get used to doing a LOT of paperwork.

 

[now i see it]

The last thing we need is buggy Apple software controlling our vehicles. Apple has a reeeeealy bad track record of putting out software that "Just Sort Of Works".

 

[JosephAW]

Including bailouts? No thank you.
After they declaired backruptcy GM & Chrysler have yet to pay back the loans from the American people and I doubt we'll ever see it. All that did was postpone the enevitable of their demise.

 

[dorsal]

Maybe he does still work at Ford and Apple is collaborating with Ford for an automomous vehicle. Please no.

Kenner left Ford about a year ago.

 

[dominiongamma]

I use to get excited hearing Apple would enter the automobile market. Now I hope they stay out of it.

If they enter it Apple then lost me as a customer they are only an iOS company now It's sad they lost sight on real computers and what made them Apple.

 

[JosephAW]

Anybody remember this from way back: "if Microsoft made cars".

http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/pnw/microsoftjoke.htm

 

[Bubba Satori]

I wonder, how the thinness would apply.

Jony Ive's protoype.
Phil and Eddy couldn't fit in it so it was canned.

 

[Cineplex]

This is probably a thing to keep out fly-by-night operations like Apple and it's car from hurting the real car manufactures. Let's face it...Apple will build a car or two then abandon it after putting some other automaker out of business. Imagine if they bought McLaren and then just shut it down after they got bored with cars. They could buy all sorts of auto related businesses and then just let them fade into memory after they leave the car market. Apple has a destructive affect on industries it get involved in. Just ask Nothing Real...oh wait....you can't.

 

[imwoblin]

Knowing Apple Inc, the entire car will be glued together with no user serviceable parts...

 

[gnasher729]

So let me get this straight, Apple is complaining that as it's a company with exactly ZERO experience in cars and car safety, it wants the exact same treatment as companies with over a hundred years of experience? Erm no, Apple cannot just bully everyone because it doesn't like the rules, they are really pathetic at this and will no doubt try to buy what it wants.

What you say there is actually pretty ridiculous and pathetic.

Of course _every_ company should be treated the same. If a new car needs to pass a crash test for example, then it needs to pass the crash test, no matter whether it's a long established company like Daimler Benz, or a newcomer like Ford, or an absolute newcomer as Apple would be. Are you suggesting that Daimler Benz should be exempt from the crash test, and Ford can do the crash test at half the speed, because they are longer in the business?

 

[69Mustang]

What you say there is actually pretty ridiculous and pathetic.

Of course _every_ company should be treated the same. If a new car needs to pass a crash test for example, then it needs to pass the crash test, no matter whether it's a long established company like Daimler Benz, or a newcomer like Ford, or an absolute newcomer as Apple would be. Are you suggesting that Daimler Benz should be exempt from the crash test, and Ford can do the crash test at half the speed, because they are longer in the business?

Ridiculous and pathetic? Maybe you should read your example a couple more times before "potting" someone's "kettle" as a shade of black. You should at least try to make your hypothetical make a tiny bit of sense. Instead you go full bore, fantasy hyperbole.

Did you ever stop to ask yourself why new companies have to jump through hurdles that established car companies don't? It's pretty simple and necessary. Those established car companies have a proven history of designing cars that meet the FMVSS. New entrants have to prove their vehicles will meet those standards. It's for the safety of the other people on the road. Does it make the hurdles really high for a company trying to bring a new car to market? Damn right. It should always be high hurdle. The consequences of shortcutting the processes are a little higher than glitchy screens, touch disease, or premature battery drain.

Google and others have taken the proper steps to test vehicles on the road. Why shouldn't Apple take those same steps?

 

[apolloa]

I guess we will know wether people want driverless cars in the next ten years. I don't, well not all the time. I'm not sure if I want to be on the roads with the majority driven by humans and the minority's controlled by a computer. If a computer car hits you who's liable?

 

[vmistery]

All new entrants to a market should be able to play by the same rules as the big boys otherwise generally speaking you will cut off the new entrants reducing innovation in the sector. I hate that large businesses essentially stomp on small competitors

 

[cube]

Testing a new traditional car model on the road and throwing an autonomous one at it is not the same thing.

 

[macsba]

Okay, you won the thread trophy.

 

[centauratlas]

No it will be a USB-c cable lol

Wireless charging. Limited to 16gb (I mean 16 miles) because a larger battery would impact the performance. The windshield will only be 11.6 inches across but at retina density. It will be the best windshield that Apple has ever built, but give limited visibility.

 

[Lycanthrope]

Sound like a scam for Apple to acquire Tesla's data...

 

[B4U]

As an automotive engineer, I look at Apple's complain this time like a 3 year old whining to their parents about their older siblings get to stay out later.
With zero track records, NHTSA would be out of their mind to let them roam free in public roads.
We can say anything we want about Takata airbags and Toyota's UIA issue, but at least they had a good record to be traced.

 

[Robert.Walter]

Maybe he does still work at Ford and Apple is collaborating with Ford for an automomous vehicle. Please no.

Not likely as his old Michigan addresses are followed by San Jose as his current address.

 

[dilbert99]

I wonder, how the thinness would apply.

Introducing the new Apple car, we like to call it
the board
(think electric skateboard)
And one more thing, introducing the first waterproof car we like to call
the board pro
(think surf board)

 

[IJ Reilly]

Anyone who thinks the Apple car project ever actually stopped is toking meth.

I don't think it ever actually stopped, because I don't think it ever actually existed, outside of the minds of those who are... how did you so nicely put it, toking meth? For those who mainline rumors, every shred of evidence that Apple is working on automotive-related technologies is automatically assumed to mean they are designing an Apple-branded car. All of the huge problems with such a thing are conveniently brushed aside in favor of a ludicrous wet dream. It even got a name, the "Apple Car."

Nope. Not going to happen. Isn't real, never was.
[doublepost=1480832325][/doublepost]

There is absolutely no chance I will ever buy an Apple car.

If only because there's absolutely no chance they will ever build one.

 

[Speedy Dingo]

Hang on, didn't Apple just get rid off the major guy who was responsible for automation at Apple?

https://www.macrumors.com/2016/11/16/mac-automation-sal-soghoian-position-eliminated/

Wouldn't he be valuable in such a project? Or is it a different type of automation?

 

[tw1ll]

What you say there is actually pretty ridiculous and pathetic.

Of course _every_ company should be treated the same. If a new car needs to pass a crash test for example, then it needs to pass the crash test, no matter whether it's a long established company like Daimler Benz, or a newcomer like Ford, or an absolute newcomer as Apple would be. Are you suggesting that Daimler Benz should be exempt from the crash test, and Ford can do the crash test at half the speed, because they are longer in the business?

Read the original post before getting up in arms - (Cr)Apple want to be able to waltz onto public roads with experimental hardware when it suits them. Their arrogance is highlighted particularly well in the quote "....we want to work with NHTSA to help define the best practices for the industry." Best practise in engineering/standards is normally defined by those grown-ups who have been working on the subject for decades, not rich, dilettante mass consumer product companies who fancy having a go at something new. If (Cr)Apple want to being technology to market - partner with the OEMS who actually know how to build cars.

 

[MacBH928]

Sure, I will buy a self driving car from a company that 30 years later blow the computer speakers due to software glitches...

 

[maflynn]

Maybe they should focus on their core business, talk about losing direction.

Not for nothing, but I can see that comment being levied against apple back when they rolled out the iPod. While I do question Apple's focus and direction, I applaud them for looking at different markets to innovate in.