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Kuo: Apple Car Team Must Be Reorganized Soon to Meet 2025 Production Goal
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I highly doubt they're actually going to make a consumer car. I always thought if Apple gets into the business, they're going to try to make a "leap-frog" product which, as many have predicted would be just a Lyft/Uber-like self driving system. Apple could make something really cool and fun though -- like these futuristic "pods" for just one person. I think that would be really cool.
Yes and no. Yes you can enter the business. But remember Tesla used an existing chassis (Lotus), though they ended up changing so much they would have been better off never doing so according to Musk. And remember that they went for a low production volume vehicle to start.
The notion that Apple could throw itself into this business with a mass product to start is absolutely insane. If they face any sort of recalls, the result could be a catastrophe if they actually manage to have sold a large volume.
They should cut their teeth on a low production volume halo vehicle. Seems like they think they're building the next People's Car / Beetle instead.
Fully autonomous does not mean level-5 and the article doesn't say that. Level 5 means a human doesn't need to be inside. And yes, someday they will come because the shipping industry wants them.
I think you really mean Level-4 which is where you can recline in your seat and enjoy the ride. Multiple vehicles have been announced to be out in the next few years with Leve-4 capability. It's not a matter of them existing or coming out.... it's a matter of laws allowing them to function that way. VW has a model due in 2024. Currently, all 50 states have laws that say you must have both hands on the wheel while driving. There's the headache.
Source? Tesla was a startup that had to invest heavily in R&D and manufacturing that can take decades to recoup through sales. EV car companies have not been profitable but that is very different than the car itself not having a profit. And all sources point that EV car's will be cheaper to manufacture as soon as 2027 and over time will become more profitable. All the costs right now are in R&D and manufacturing. R&D is much higher than it is for gasoline vehicles that only see incremental development. For EV's, it was a ground up new category and technologies that continue to evolve. Currently, many EV's are yielding higher profits at the vehicle level than gas depending on the automaker.
This is Apple.... the biggest control freak company on earth.
The reason things stalled as the article cites, is that every partner they approached for manufacturing snubbed them and the hit a wall. The auto industry has seen what happens when Apple enters a market and doesn't want to play with them, and I don't blame them either. It would be like handing a serial killer a knife and then asking them to scratch your back. Blood will be shed.
I mean, do we have any idea what "they think they're building?" All I recall seeing are all the dumb renders put out by journalists reporting on shady leaks. Agree though, the first model should be high-end, relatively expensive, and low volume. That would fit their preferred profit margin.... they don't want to be making 5% on a $30k car.
Sorry, you're right. I get my old acronyms messed up. I meant MMS, which didn't come around until iPhone OS 3. SMS was available from the initial release. I'll edit my post.
It did not eschew the contract though, per wikipedia: $499 for the 4 GB model and $599 for the 8 GB model, both requiring a 2-year contract. At the time, IIRC, most phones were $200 off contract, or free with a 2 year contract.
Does that matter. I used to repair cars for a living, and build racing cars for fun. But I know much of those skills, everything to do with the ICE, get less and less useful every day. The near term future is EVs. After 30+ ICE cars were are now a full EV car family. I love charging my car from the solar on the house and not worrying about the price of gas.
Also, I suspect some Apple engineers could do just fine understanding the control system in an electric vehicle.
That's right there was a contract, but they didn't subsidize the phone.
Steve Ballmer says Apple’s iPhone succeeded because of carrier subsidies. He’s wrong.
The iPhone wasn’t the first phone to be subsidized. It was one of the first ones not to be.
www.vox.com
This is what happens when leadership lacks vision. Elon showed Apple exactly what needs to be done and yet they still can’t get their act together.
If I’m Tim Cook, I’d kill the project. He’s clearly in over his head. He’s spending an astounding 10x more ($20 billion more) on R&D this year than Steve Jobs did in 2011 and yet all they have to show for it are slightly better/faster iPhones with slightly improved cameras.
If I’m Tim Cook, I’d kill the project. He’s clearly in over his head. He’s spending an astounding 10x more ($20 billion more) on R&D this year than Steve Jobs did in 2011 and yet all they have to show for it are slightly better/faster iPhones with slightly improved cameras.
While every other autonomy is effectively still in the womb. Name any other autonomy platform that could right now drive autonomously at all in say, oh I dunno, Kansas City.
<span>Making electric vehicles profitable</span>
Most OEMs don’t profit on selling electric vehicles. But addressing elements of the product and business model can put them on a better path with regard to electric vehicle economics.
Yes, they spent 10x more. They also had over 3x revenue. They've built their entire platform to run on their own in-house SoC that is competing and beating x86 on some levels.
To say "slightly better/faster iphones with slightly improved cameras" is pretty oversimplification.
How would he know this? As secretive as Apple is, can you imagine how locked down this project is? He has his sources, but obviously thinks everything flows through them. We already know this isn’t true.
With VR/AR being the focus in the near term, and the disruption in the supply chain that has caused product road maps to be altered, I don’t think 2025 is feasible. I’m thinking more around 2027. For reference, look at how much the Tesla production goals have been altered through the years.
I also don’t think they are strictly after making only a self driving vehicle. I believe they will first put out an EV that is human operated.
With VR/AR being the focus in the near term, and the disruption in the supply chain that has caused product road maps to be altered, I don’t think 2025 is feasible. I’m thinking more around 2027. For reference, look at how much the Tesla production goals have been altered through the years.
I also don’t think they are strictly after making only a self driving vehicle. I believe they will first put out an EV that is human operated.
As others have said, even if they actually get to a finished product ready for release, the logistics involved are immense. Dealerships, servicing, government regulation, spare parts, used car sales etc. Apple are going to have to seriously go to town with infrastructure if they want this to be even a moderate success. If it ends up being a flop, will all of the above be a complete waste after just one or two model iterations?
So Tesla's been on the go since 2003 (18 years) & had their first 'worthwhile' seller with the Model S in 2012 9 years later.
Granted it wasn't level 5, but rumours about apple have been flying about give or take for 10 years.
In that time they've got a good foundation for mapping (dependant on where you stay/who you ask), look around will probably be introduced for their VR/AR headset/glasses, at a stretch photos recognising objects, people etc. & even their beacon thing may have a look in
2025 might be pushing it, but we all know apple's skillset in slickly designing & manufacturing products (including their own chipsets), for all we know rollout could be slow (one city / state a time).
All I can say is never write them off as whatever they've got planned it'll sure be different to what most folks are expecting.
Granted it wasn't level 5, but rumours about apple have been flying about give or take for 10 years.
In that time they've got a good foundation for mapping (dependant on where you stay/who you ask), look around will probably be introduced for their VR/AR headset/glasses, at a stretch photos recognising objects, people etc. & even their beacon thing may have a look in
2025 might be pushing it, but we all know apple's skillset in slickly designing & manufacturing products (including their own chipsets), for all we know rollout could be slow (one city / state a time).
All I can say is never write them off as whatever they've got planned it'll sure be different to what most folks are expecting.
Not really sure why everyone thinks Apple should be clawing their way into the EV market. Apple still doesn't even have a proper TV like everyone was rumoring them to.
And even if Apple were to jump in, they're already far behind Tesla in terms of data collection. Apple EV car will be the dumber version, just like Siri vs Google Assistant. Tesla already amass a ton of street and driving data, and Apple is still struggling with Apple Maps.
And even if Apple were to jump in, they're already far behind Tesla in terms of data collection. Apple EV car will be the dumber version, just like Siri vs Google Assistant. Tesla already amass a ton of street and driving data, and Apple is still struggling with Apple Maps.
2025!!! 3 years is enough to build 3 Apple cars model, good luck trying to fix Siri and Apple maps in time!! ????