True but Apple will also be redesigning Kia’s assembly lines just as they have in the past for their own brand of computers, phones and processors.
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Apple to Invest $3.6 Billion in Kia Motors for Apple Car Production
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Kia is invisible in this partnership except to the American workers on that assembly line. That’s all you’ll hear about.
You have it backwards. That was a Motorola phone and branded as such. By the time this car is announced and available, no one will even know it’s manufactured by Kia except for journalists and insiders. Same as iPhones being made by FoxConn.
Wow that was a lot of thumps down you must know a lot about the car industry and love KIA. Yes? . -nothing wrong with that, but a KIA/Hyundai/Genesis are limited budget cars so why is that a problem? Brand position is not on same level as Apple.
Do you want a KIA Stinger or a BWM 5 serie or Mercedes E class ? price tag is ~$50k for each. I guess you say "All day - Everyday KIA"
No I don't think KIA/Hyundai/Genesis are $50k. Give it another 10 -15 years and they may be there. Do you want a Lexus or Mercedes Benz ?
KIA is a brand who provides to the market below Toyota and Honda that is their forte. They sell a lot of cars as there is most people who buy less expensive cars. Many just need a car and so not really care, it's price and nothing else. Same goes with computers and phones just need a computer or a phone from Walmart or BestBuy and do not care about crazy expensive Apple stuff. -Here we most likely will agree it is 2nd tier products, but not the Kia Sorento as that is prime beef.
Many companies lives on the strategy, it's like you do not buy high end future in IKEA or Ashley. -it's all about price.
Many outsource their production but I guess Magna who build others brands (https://www.magna.com ) didn't want to build Apple cars.
Making it is one thing, succeeding at it is another thing. Facebook with its $700B value couldn't make a successful smartphone and Microsoft couldn't make a decent mp3 player.
I agree with you that I don't think it will be an Apple car but something more like an Apple system implemented in another car.
Mercedes in Germany & Jeep in the USA are rated well below Kia (in top position) in reliability.
Hyundai's Genesis is rated the highest of any luxury car for reliability. And of course, Hyundai own Kia. So I reckon Apple are in pretty good hands.
Edit: Genesis was rated best premium brand for the last 4 years!
Kia the best quality new car brand in 2020 study as Tesla debuts in last place - unofficially - Car News
The J.D. Power 2020 Initial Quality Study (IQS) has been released in the US, with Kia and Dodge setting the benchmark for quality among all new-vehicle brands, while Tesla unofficially debuted in last placewww.carsguide.com.au
Double Edit: Here is the actual report: https://www.jdpower.com/sites/default/files/file/2020-06/2020070 U.S. IQS.pdf
I can't take Hyundai as a luxury brand seriously. Sounds like fine-dinning McDonalds. Then again, somehow Toyota succeeded with that on their Lexus brand.
No... they won't. They will spec a car. Kia will manage the logistics and assembly line.
Apple has ZERO history or expertise for managing automotive production.
A computer assembly line is nothing like an automotive assembly line. It has very little flexibility.
Apple can request QA checkpoints to manage quality, but Kia will design the line and workflow.
If this is true that Apple is working with Kia, these will not be hand built cars. Kia's Georgia plant is already largely automated.
It makes two SUV lines (Telluride and Sorento) and one sedan line (Optima).
I suspect Apple will be asking Kia to repurpose the Optima line for their vehicle.
Same thing, different story.
Apple Car is also widely predicted to happen (and it will)
Yeah , yeah - dream on ... apple is not god
Just watch Tesla how iterative it is to ramp up a production.
This is not - „we are apple - we know how to build a car“
I just don't see it happening the way these analysts are predicting. As i mentioned in my original post, I don't think it'll be an Apple branded car with the Apple logo on it. My prediction is it will still be a KIA branded vehicle but with an Apple designed assisted driving system. It's not dissimilar to what Ford is doing with Google's Android Auto platform. See Article It's not hard to imagine Apple partnering with other automotive manufacturers to bring an advanced CarPlay system to other vehicles. There's a battle being waged by Apple, Google and Amazon over whose platform will end up in the most vehicles.
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It is possible, but that would be something Apple does not have full control, and that goes against Apple’s philosophy/practice. Automobiles of the future will be nothing like the automobile of today. It is going to be a very complex AI that will have to result on a full autonomous drive with the highest safety and security. There is a reason why Apple would take its forever time on this, this is huge for Apple or any company for that matter. This is not like AirPower or AirPods. Whoever does it right first, stands to make a sh*load of profits. Being one of the biggest tech giants in the world, I just can’t see Apple missing out in this one.
Fun of driving? At the cost of over a million people who die on a road accidents due to a human error? Glad it won’t be up to you and it would be illegal to manualy drive on a public roads. You would do your “fun” driving at designated places where you wouldn’t endanger other leaving beans.
Yes the fun of driving. I guess you don’t enjoy being behind the wheel. Some do. Imagine that. Different opinions.
So you really think the $3.6 billion is a gift to Kia? It's an investment to retool their production lines to meet Apple's specifications.
When I am behind the wheel, I am because I need to be somewhere (in one peace)
Some people put safety of their own and family first, fun second. I say this as someone who has lost family member and friends on a road accidents. Accidents as a result of “thrill” behind the wheel. I don’t see it as fun, but then again, different opinions.
And by the way, you could be the safest driver in the world. When you are on the road, it is bound to be somewhere/someone with a death wish on a loose. And it only takes one to cause mayhem.
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I never said anything remotely like that.
Of course some retooling is needed. Part suppliers also need to be tooled up as well. Components need to be designed and manufactured.
They're paying Kia to do all the heavy lifting. You honestly think Apple is going to design the assembly line to put it all together?
You think Apple is going to design every aspect of the car down to what type of fasteners will be used to hold down seats?
Apple is lucky the Kia factory in Georgia is non-union. UAW would eat them alive with requests and restrictions on labor.
Kia (working with Apple) will determine the best way to produce and deliver the product Apple has spec'd.
Apple has zero expertise in this area of manufacturing.
You're simply describing an iPhone assembly line except the parts are bigger and heavier in automobiles and there ear many more humans involved in assembling phones than cars. Everything that consumers will see and use will be designed by Apple just like they are in all Apple products. For parts that customers don't see or even care about, I'm sure there will be hundreds of standard parts that all car makers use. Do you really think that Apple wants to show off a seat, steering wheel or entertainment console that looks the same as the one in a Toyota?
Yeah - i didn’t know that but how does that change anything.
I followed thru Tesla complete process of evolution and i am sure apple is not capable of doing that in that short amount of time and i am sure Tim Hollywood even doesn’t want to!
Kia is most definitely a premium car now. As for the speaker deal, yeah there used to be a lot of things that would not come standard on them. The features and functions options that are available and standard on a lot are great. I would have not recommended a Kia 10 years ago, but I most definitely recommend them 100%
What type of vehicle do you drive, cause it sounds like you need a major upgrade. All the options you are mentioning are available on the market now. Tesla has the "keycard entry", Kia literally has all the rest depending on the trim you choose! The Carplay is standard and the HUD is available on the top trims. You should Stop by a SW Kia location and let us get you into one of the highest rated vehicles on the market now.
haha... I can see from the comments that a lot of people still have no idea how Kia/Hyundai has progressed over the last decade. They are near the top in most customer satisfaction and reliability surveys, and not just JD "I paid for this" Powers. As for EV's, check out the Hyundai Kona and Ioniq or the Kia Niro, all highly regarded (by the motoring press) BEVs. Their new E-GMP platform announced in December looks great and will likely be the basis of the Apple car. 800V and bi-directional charging!
Disclosure: I am the owner of a 7-seater Kia Rondo from 2014. Awesome little Tardis.
Disclosure: I am the owner of a 7-seater Kia Rondo from 2014. Awesome little Tardis.