And yet that is what the industry is doing..... The engine block on most cars today are aluminum, so are the heads, etc.
And a lot of cars unibody design is also changing over to aluminum today as well. The F-150's body is all aluminum.
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Former GM CEO on Apple Car: 'They Have No Idea What They're Getting Into'
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And yet that is what the industry is doing..... The engine block on most cars today are aluminum, so are the heads, etc.
And a lot of cars unibody design is also changing over to aluminum today as well. The F-150's body is all aluminum.
I still say Apple are NOT going to make a car. They will team up with someone who makes cars then provide the add on, or they are developing stand alone add's for cars. If it is a car, I don't believe it would be a consumer car, it would be more likely a self driving car so they can map the streets of the world without the cost of a human all day.
Just my 2c
Just my 2c
Ballmer was right that the iPhone was too expensive at launch... But horribly *wrong* to dismiss it as a competitive threat. He literally laughed it off and thought the lack of a physical keyboard was a fatal flaw. Apple fixed its error in two months. Ballmer seemed to take years to react to the iPhone.
How have they kept up with the fact that Al is typically softer? (legit question, i am NOT in the auto industry or an engineer).
I know some cars have started using Aluminium heads and headers, but I was still under the impression that most of the drive train and frames are still steel, at least in MOST consumer cars
I am clearly late to this party, but....
I have no idea what Apple is up to, but it is clear that they are still rolling out CarPlay. If they were going to build their own car, selling CarPlay to the competition does not make sense. So I am going to guess that based on this single fact Apple is doing somethng else. My guess is even deeper integration. Once you have CarPlay it could connect with other car systems so that one can open doors and start the engine remotely from the iphone. It could also integrate the sensors (including lots of cameras) to iMap for enhanced driving support (not self driving yet). And it could be testing all that out. Maybe even such deep integration as to replace the dashboard with some apple based screen.
All of these things are very doable for Apple as an extension of CarPlay and they are probably thinking of a ton more. But actually building a Car seems counter productive to the roll out of CarPlay.
Just my thoughts...
I have no idea what Apple is up to, but it is clear that they are still rolling out CarPlay. If they were going to build their own car, selling CarPlay to the competition does not make sense. So I am going to guess that based on this single fact Apple is doing somethng else. My guess is even deeper integration. Once you have CarPlay it could connect with other car systems so that one can open doors and start the engine remotely from the iphone. It could also integrate the sensors (including lots of cameras) to iMap for enhanced driving support (not self driving yet). And it could be testing all that out. Maybe even such deep integration as to replace the dashboard with some apple based screen.
All of these things are very doable for Apple as an extension of CarPlay and they are probably thinking of a ton more. But actually building a Car seems counter productive to the roll out of CarPlay.
Just my thoughts...
It's a much bigger leap, requiring a much bigger capital investment. Apple made a lot of mistakes in getting into the phone business, and got through them because the costs of making those mistakes were low. How many people died because "they were holding it wrong?" The liability due to design mistakes in "Antenna-gate" had a maximum potential of a few hundred bucks per incident.
As to capital investment: is there a "Foxconn for automobiles" in existence? If not, that's going to eat up a huge amount of capital right there.
Finally, design: Apple has designed some very complex microchips, but there are very few actual parts in an iPhone. There are more distinct parts in a car SEAT than there are in any iPhone. Additionally, Apple does great design of software, electronics and electronics packaging; how much MECHANICAL design have they done?
Apple is NOT getting into the car business, because Tim Cook is actually not an idiot. More likely, all this secret automobile stuff is about electronic/computer systems that would be embedded in someone else's automobile.
The frames( for the remaining body on frame vehicles) are still steel. But, for unibody vehicles they are beginning to switch over for the sub-frame components.
Pretty much the only Iron Block engines are for the HD trucks. Everything else is using an aluminum block.
While I have no idea how they do it either, but they are now widely available. Chances are your car uses an aluminum engine block.
And do you know how quickly that 29 billion and disappear rolling out a new automotive company
Even though I presume that Apple would contract the actual manufacturing to an existing auto company, probably in China, I still think the complexities of a market in which Apple has no experience would detract from its efforts in other areas.
I bet Apple never enters the car market, however, except in the operating systems and control area. They could make a real contribution and better margins there.
I bet Apple never enters the car market, however, except in the operating systems and control area. They could make a real contribution and better margins there.
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True, but those billions do indicate that they can buy all major car experts on the planet and then some, and stil have enough spare change to contract a manufacturer to build a first line of cars.
According to the rumors, hiring experts is exactly what they are doing now.
Tesla has already made it into the car business overcoming regulations and safely requirements.. and Tesla started (relatively) much smaller. Why wouldn't Apple, which doesn't have to go through the funding phases that Tesla did, be able to overcome the same obstacles?
His commentary might turn out to be equally misguided. Remember Ballmer's commentary on the original iPhone?
Well, manufacturing a car vs. manufacturing devices are really from different "pies". The automobile industry is very saturated and the GM CEO may have a point. The overhead costs per car especially at the initial start and selling an electric car to the rest of North America and the world when the infrastructure really isn't there to support these vehicles is a big risk. I still think Apple may be developing the brains for a car and I can see them partner with an established automobile manufacturer.
Nobody is assuming they will fail. People are asserting there is no way in hell they will build their own automobile. They won't do it, therefore they won't fail.
As to Apple's impeccable track record, what are you referring to? The built an iPod, made it bigger, and added phone and networking capabilities. That's basically one line of products. In addition to that, they have had an interesting computer with modest market success. So basically, two product lines that were based entirely on microchips, software, and cool boxes to put them in. That impeccable track record begins with avoiding business that are not built entirely upon chips, software, and cool boxes.
Back in very early 2007 I was working with a room full of country managers within Motorola Mobile Devices. The iPhone had just been launched. There was derision in the room about Apple's ability to make a mobile phone that people would care about.
Look how that all worked out...
Apple - most valuable & profitable company on the planet.
Motorola - a sad shadow of its former self...
Look how that all worked out...
Apple - most valuable & profitable company on the planet.
Motorola - a sad shadow of its former self...
Maybe I said too quickly others can't read.
I honestly have no idea what your quote is about or how it relates to mine. Sorry man. For the record, I was only talking about what he said in this quote.
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I don't believe it's fundamentally about chips, boxes & software.
It's about figuring out what it is that consumers really need and want (need is not same as want) and then convincing the consumers of the same. Get it right and the consumers will market it for you - what is more powerful than a recommendation from a friend? THAT is the core competence that Apple seems to have mastered. If it wasn't about this, then anybody copying Apple's technology would also be successful, and Apple's technology is the same as everybody else's...
Weve learned and struggled for a few years here figuring out how to make a decent phone. PC guys are not going to just figure this out. Theyre not going to just walk in.
Palm CEO Ed Colligan, commenting on then-rumored Apple iPhone, 16 Nov 2006
I love how Apple driving around with cameras attached to a car and talking with Tesla means they ARE DEFINITELY building a car. Sure they are, Apple builds tons of things that never see the light of day.
My take is the cars people see driving around are for street view and/or car play stuff
My take is the cars people see driving around are for street view and/or car play stuff
Look at Apple's product history and a clear pattern will emerge. Apple endeavors to differentiate itself from competitors in order to command a high profit margin. Apple has never gotten into a price war.
If there was no way Apple could replicate this business model with a car, I don't think Apple would go for it.
If there was no way Apple could replicate this business model with a car, I don't think Apple would go for it.
The problem with the auto industry, or more specifically, GM, was that at the time, its financing division was making all the money. When the housing market crashed, so did GMAC.
Following your line of reasoning, we should let all institutions that are poorly run fail; housing, finance, the automotive industry, retail, manufacturing, agriculture and practically every other industry in the food chain, including Health Care.
Sure there would have been replacements, given enough time, but the depth of a depression that would have devastating to your population would have been a revolution in the making, and probably not in a good way.
Current events: See Europe, specifically Greece.