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Steve Jobs Met With 'V-Vehicle' Creator in 2010 to Discuss Interest in a Cheaper, Lightweight Car
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So you're saying... Steve Jobs would n̶e̶v̶e̶r̶ have made a car!
In Macrumors whiners-brigade collective mind, Steve Jobs would only have done what they can currently envision, whereas the real Steve Jobs never actually did that, for example dropping cd-rom drives from the Mac, producing an mp3 player and banning Flash from the iPhone, all decisions they harshly criticized back in the days.
This article is tailor-made from an armchair CEO to suggest Tim Cook be fired.
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I think Steve was more interested in the fact that it was to be a plastic car over what the car itself was.
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I think Steve was more interested in the fact that it was to be a plastic car over what the car itself was.
I'm a car guy so I *should* hate the interior. But if it's going to be autonomous and I'll be sleeping, I'm more concerned about the comfort.
Plus if there's plastic, there are lots of options for customizing - cover panels in material (alcantera, leather, etc), plastidip (colors, matte/gloss options). Just make sure the seats are comfy and the sound system is easy to use and has crisp audio.
Plus if there's plastic, there are lots of options for customizing - cover panels in material (alcantera, leather, etc), plastidip (colors, matte/gloss options). Just make sure the seats are comfy and the sound system is easy to use and has crisp audio.
But, wait, everyone... The future is NOT about owning your own car and spending $14k or more on it. You rely on the cloud for most of your data and use lightweight computers - similarly the future is in transports as a service. Integrated transportation solutions, i.e. what Uber is building. And public transports (high-speed trains...).
I think Apple should invest in self-driving, mapping and power grid management technologies - not in building a $$$$$ piece of metal and plastic that'll spend 95% of its time cluttering public space (i.e. parked), unused.
The car pictured in this rumor makes me think of the Bluecar by Bollore Technologies - cheap, robust, lightweight, and part of a self-service scheme (https://www.autolib.eu/en/). So maybe Apple is trying to compete with that, and with Uber, not with Tesla.
I think Apple should invest in self-driving, mapping and power grid management technologies - not in building a $$$$$ piece of metal and plastic that'll spend 95% of its time cluttering public space (i.e. parked), unused.
The car pictured in this rumor makes me think of the Bluecar by Bollore Technologies - cheap, robust, lightweight, and part of a self-service scheme (https://www.autolib.eu/en/). So maybe Apple is trying to compete with that, and with Uber, not with Tesla.
I've been wondering why cars are so damn expensive...
I can get an electric bike capable of going 40 miles in an hour for $1000, but the moment you double the speed and range the prices goes into the 5 digit range.
I feel like it must be possible to sell, not a great car, but a very economic commuter car, for $3000-$4000. Basically an electric car/motorcycle hybrid with a range of ~100 miles and a top speed in the 80s.
I can get an electric bike capable of going 40 miles in an hour for $1000, but the moment you double the speed and range the prices goes into the 5 digit range.
I feel like it must be possible to sell, not a great car, but a very economic commuter car, for $3000-$4000. Basically an electric car/motorcycle hybrid with a range of ~100 miles and a top speed in the 80s.
You might need plastic surgery.
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Too long.
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So everyone who enjoys driving in the comfort of their private car will now be forced to share stinking, dirty interiors with the great unwashed?
Not on your nelly.
Wow I just googled... 10 hours in some cars, 4 hours in others... 1 hour if your very very very lucky.
No effin way I would spend the $ on an electric car. I truly hope they find a way to recharge in 5 mins max.
[doublepost=1465482195][/doublepost]Range isn't great either... 265 miles top for premium model.
Tesla Model S: 208-265 miles
It's not even a close race for number one on our list: The Tesla Model S wins by a mile. Actually, it wins by more than 100 miles, or 150 if you upgrade to the more powerful Performance model. That's because the base-level 60-kWh Model S ($71,000 with shipping) boasts a 208-mile range, while the upgraded P85 ($91,000) offers a more indulgent 265 miles between charges. Regardless of which Model S you choose, you'll get a long list of standard features that includes alloy wheels, heated seats, a rearview camera, dual-zone automatic climate control and a monstrous 17-inch center-mounted touchscreen.
Wow, a lot of these comments remind me of house hunters who reject a house because the color is wrong. This was a concept vehicle, use a wee bit of imagination, please. The idea, however, is consistent with the then Apple mindset of redefining the market. Apple is a world company, and a compact hatchback design is the one of the most efficient with regard the interior space. I could imagine this vehicle as an electric, with solar panel roof to trickle charge and removable battery packs for fleets, or perhaps a bio-diesel hybrid as an opportunity to combine some of Apple's technology and its tremendous manufacturing facilities in China to produce a viable world car.
Unfortunately, Apple's vision might include a completely hands free, button-less dash setup... allowing Siri to control everything from A/C and heater to music, navigation, etc.
Me: "Siri, please set my thermostat to 72 degrees"
Siri: "Playing, Black Sun by Death Cab for Cutie"
I think that is taken into account. IIRC the front of the car is supposed to "crumple" to reduce the force while the driver area is reinforced or something.
As much as I like beige, you have to have contrasting elements in the interior - something to break up the monotony. Even if it's still the wood fibre, just stained another color. As it is, it looks like the whole thing was made out of Amazon boxes...
So you're saying... Steve Jobs would n̶e̶v̶e̶r̶ have made a car!
... and that Apple is still coasting on leftover ideas from Jobs
The i3's aesthetic problem is lots of unnecessary detailing and the determination to somehow shoehorn in a BMW radiator grille - topped off by a colour scheme chosen by someone who actually liked the design and wanted to pick it out in high contrast. The result looks like a cross between a WWII 'dazzle ship' and a cyborg manga panda. Apple could easily build something something far more elegant on the same "frame".
Of course, aerodynamics are sometimes counter-intuitive, so maybe some of those fussy lines are there to do something clever with vortex shedding etc.
Jobs was actually visiting him to serve a writ for copying the look and feel of the old iOS Contacts app
Mad Mac Maniac
macrumors 601
Interesting thought if Apple were to try to go in the anti-tesla direction. Instead of making a luxury car, redefine what a car is and make them small, efficient, and inexpensive. I'm thinking about what Apple did with the iPad.
If Apple can make the car fully autonomous they can change a lot (get rid of) what makes a car "traditional". Can you imagine an Apple car starting at $15,000?
If Apple can make the car fully autonomous they can change a lot (get rid of) what makes a car "traditional". Can you imagine an Apple car starting at $15,000?
The source article simply says that Jobs was an adviser to that company.
It said nothing about he himself being interested in building such a machine. In fact, if you think about it, that'd be a conflict of interest, and such a meeting would appear as an attempt to steal a competitor's knowledge.
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Articles like this seem to prompt some people try to retcon Apple history, in this case to make it sound as if Jobs put a stamp of approval on an Apple car project.
If Jobs was interested in electric or shared transportation, he sure didn't show it from what he himself drove. I mean seriously, the guy bought a new Mercedes every six months just to avoid having a license plate.
It said nothing about he himself being interested in building such a machine. In fact, if you think about it, that'd be a conflict of interest, and such a meeting would appear as an attempt to steal a competitor's knowledge.
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Articles like this seem to prompt some people try to retcon Apple history, in this case to make it sound as if Jobs put a stamp of approval on an Apple car project.
If Jobs was interested in electric or shared transportation, he sure didn't show it from what he himself drove. I mean seriously, the guy bought a new Mercedes every six months just to avoid having a license plate.
Mad Mac Maniac
macrumors 601
You sir, win the absurd award for the internets. 5 minutes? Yes, just like your iPhone charges in 5 minutes... Oh wait, that takes hours.... oh wait, the battery in an electric vehicle is likely thousands of times larger than in your iPhone?? I can't imagine the charging getting that much better than it already is. The Tesla supercharger is pretty good. A 30 minute charge will give you about 170 miles. I find that to be adequate. The trouble is that once a battery starts to get closer to fully charge the speed decreases for the safety and longevity of the battery.
Sure it's not the best road tripping car, but when you'll be charging nightly in your garage it's perfect. (also for tesla the charging will be free!)