Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apple's Automotive Team Includes Former Tesla, Ford and GM Employees

Tesla made a "traditional" car and it took 5 years. Apple will go through everything that is a car and won't suffice at just improving current technologies, as we've learned by now. If they have the same standard for the car as other products every detail in the car will be like making a new iPod. New manufacturing techniques etc... it will be insanely challenging

They should hire an architect since a car is not so much an "artefact" as it is a space, a space to be in while traveling.
 
Razeus said:
What Apple really should be working on is a Home team to get me better automation and syncing between my dishwasher, refrigerator, microwave, and TV. Apple Home has a nice ring to it.

I seriously doubt Apple would be stupid enough to make a car. There's too much competition, too much customer variation, too many laws for safety, etc. Worst of all, in the US, Apple wouldn't be able to sell directly to a customer and have to setup dealership networks.

What Apple could be doing is developing an interface for the dash and steering wheel that they sell to manufacturers. Now customers can say, "I want the V6, 6 speed transmission, leather seats, and the Apple interface".
Click to expand...

Maybe they are hoping Tesla can break grounds/laws in the direct to customer car sales model.
 
Tesla owner here...

I've been a Tesla owner for a couple of years and a Mac user for decades. The Tesla boards are all abuzz over this, too. What's not being talked about in this thread are comments by Elon Musk a week or so ago in an earnings call:

"I do have a secret weapon on the demand side that will probably start to deploy later this year for demand generation. We’ll see how that goes. It isn’t totally necessary but I think and it could be pretty interesting, I could [indiscernible] dealers."

There's speculation on the Tesla boards that the secret weapon is a partnership with Apple. Possibly one in which Apple harmonizes all of the Model S's functions on the 17" display. From CarPlay to navigation and autopilot UI, Apple would do a great job improving the already great user experience.

This would certainly increase exposure for Tesla, presumably increasing demand. Furthermore, because this comment was in the context of countering automobile dealer associations' attempts to block Tesla direct sales, it's interesting to note that having Apple as a partner could make part of every Apple store a Tesla showcase, either through a Tesla mockup in-store or even Tesla demonstrations to interested people. They're not demo-ing the car, per se, just the Apple experience in the car. This could skirt the requirements that Tesla only operate through franchised dealers in those states that are still clinging to that model of car sales. The increase in exposure for Tesla would be enormous.

All in all, I don't think Apple is going to make a car. I think they're going to push CarPlay and their UI brilliance into as many automotive lines as they can, now that the human/car interface is becoming so much more audiovisual than ever before, beginning with Tesla.
 
Computer companies making electric cars? What could possibly go wrong?

article-1326823-01FD44E10000044D-596_634x436.jpg
 
"top secret research lab".
We know roughly what they're working on, and around where it is. Such secrecy.
 
Moof1904 said:
All in all, I don't think Apple is going to make a car. I think they're going to push CarPlay and their UI brilliance into as many automotive lines as they can, now that the human/car interface is becoming so much more audiovisual than ever before, beginning with Tesla.
Click to expand...

Could Apple be basing their car on a Tesla platform in the same way Tesla used the Lotus Elise for its first model? If Apple can push electric cars to the mainstream more than ever before, Tesla would make a mint and be able to keep the more exotic stuff under their marque.
 
4look4rd said:
Samsung is in a much better position to develop a car. They are a huge conglomerate.
Click to expand...

better? maybe if you want a frankencar with half-baked features included simply because they haven't been released by anyone else yet.

apple's singular vision and production oversight are advantages, not hinderances. as long as you have a modicum of patience.
 
Moof1904 said:
I've been a Tesla owner for a couple of years and a Mac user for decades. The Tesla boards are all abuzz over this, too. What's not being talked about in this thread are comments by Elon Musk a week or so ago in an earnings call:

"I do have a secret weapon on the demand side that will probably start to deploy later this year for demand generation. We’ll see how that goes. It isn’t totally necessary but I think and it could be pretty interesting, I could [indiscernible] dealers."

There's speculation on the Tesla boards that the secret weapon is a partnership with Apple. Possibly one in which Apple harmonizes all of the Model S's functions on the 17" display. From CarPlay to navigation and autopilot UI, Apple would do a great job improving the already great user experience.

This would certainly increase exposure for Tesla, presumably increasing demand. Furthermore, because this comment was in the context of countering automobile dealer associations' attempts to block Tesla direct sales, it's interesting to note that having Apple as a partner could make part of every Apple store a Tesla showcase, either through a Tesla mockup in-store or even Tesla demonstrations to interested people. They're not demo-ing the car, per se, just the Apple experience in the car. This could skirt the requirements that Tesla only operate through franchised dealers in those states that are still clinging to that model of car sales. The increase in exposure for Tesla would be enormous.

All in all, I don't think Apple is going to make a car. I think they're going to push CarPlay and their UI brilliance into as many automotive lines as they can, now that the human/car interface is becoming so much more audiovisual than ever before, beginning with Tesla.
Click to expand...

That's possible, but it doesn't explain the need to hire away multiple very key engineers from other car makers, including Tesla. It also doesn't explain the need to build a large battery division of engineers. It's an explanation, but not a likely one considering all the other rumors floating around.
 
It's gone from nothing to a ton of rumours within about a week. This is really hard to believe... But the evidence is there.
 
KdParker said:
No I don't.

Calculators also had computing power and storage too. Lots of things did. This 'natural progression' as you call it didn't really happen until the iPhone.

I would argue that Apples business was iPods, and desktops and the iPhone is a departure from both of those lines of business. I am not of the mind set that the iPhone is just a beefed up iPod.
Click to expand...
The only real departure Apple ever had was the iPod, they went from a computer to a mobile MP3 player. The iPhone is in the mobile market like the dozens of iPods Apple had made and is a computer so the iPhone was right in apple's specialty
 
Last edited:
Keirasplace said:
But, then again, we are arguing Apple is a tech company, and not an "experience" company. What does Apple actually sells? That'S the question. If they're actually selling an holistic integrated experience... WEll, getting into car seems like a natural fit. Were else do you totally control a person's environment.
Click to expand...

That's a fair point, but I don't expect Apple to deliver something like until the next 5-10 years.
 
CarPlay will be for Apple Car – like Motorola Phone with iTunes (2004) was for the iPhone (2007). Like iTunes for Windows was/is a costumer gateway to Apples "ecosystem".
 
Fattytail said:
That's possible, but it doesn't explain the need to hire away multiple very key engineers from other car makers, including Tesla. It also doesn't explain the need to build a large battery division of engineers. It's an explanation, but not a likely one considering all the other rumors floating around.
Click to expand...

I think a joint venture with a young, innovative, like-minded company makes sense. Less risk. Especially in such a complex industry.

And as for the battery division? Maybe that's for some other future product? Like renewable energy for homes.

Generating power is one thing, but you need huge batteries to store the energy for later use. Aren't Apple's data centers running on 100% renewable energy? Apple didn't need to do that. It cost more up-front. But maybe they wanted to get familiar with the technologies?
 
goobot said:
The only real departure Apple ever had was the iPod, they went from a computer to a mobile MP3 player. The iPhone is in the mobile market like the dozens of iPods Apple had made and is a computer so the iPhone was right in apple's specialty
Click to expand...
So you say now. In 2007 the phone market was saturated by big players like Sony & Nokia who really knew how the phone market worked. There was very little chance that Apple would succeed (or so the analysts liked to say).

In a decade, Apple could be a significant player in the automotive field, and you'll have the hindsight to say why it was obvious from the beginning that Apple was using its strengths to exploit a previously unconquered niche.
 
If they cannot revolutionize the home TV / Theater experience they certainly cannot design and build a full automobile. Jury is still out if they even got a watch right.

:rolleyes:
 
I wonder if an Apple car will let you go wherever you want. Or will it be a walled garden and only allow Apple approved destinations?
 
My Apple Car Vision

Make use of Apple's ability to make curved glass, outer layer of gorilla glass, sandwiching layers of solar panels. The car will come with AppleCam 3D camera view from all angles. Car diagnostics will be built into iCloud, and will alert you when any scheduled maintenance needs to be performed. Updates will be made available when plugged into the grid. AppleStore locations, and 3rd Party Apple providers will be required to have AppleCharge in their parking lots, free to AppleCar users. AppleCar Gold will be available as a luxury car, made of gold for those who want the status symbol. To stay in line with AppleWatch Gold, it will be $400,000 to match the $4,000 tag of the AppleWatch Gold - both of course will be 100% Pure Gold 24 Carate "Plating."
 
Last edited:
Electric cars don't need apple. They need a big step forward in battery technology to be useful to the average person and not the dedicated environmentalist.

The fundamentals of the interface are decent. Apple may have some innovations in robot cars which would be great.

If Tim Cook is doing this to try and make the world a better place - well that is always the sign a company is going to die. Steve Jobs made the world a better place with the iPhone without try
 
I'd love to know why Apple is allowing this rumor to simmer and grow right now. Yeah I know Apple never comments on rumors but if they wanted to nip this in the bud they could easily leak something to the WSJ or Bloomberg throwing some cold water on these rumors.
 
Please don't let Siri...

...control this vehicle.

Hope it's a hydrogen fuel cell car, if they do this.

The limits of battery technology need to be blown away to bring purely battery powered cars main stream. Few folk are prepared to wait hours to move on after a flat battery.

Apple could, single handedly, hydrogenise the US automotive industry and infrastructure. In one move, ( admittedly a very big one) removing the need for carbon based vehicles for most users and changing the geopolitical map overnight.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back