Tesla CEO Expects No Apple Car Before 2020, Calls it 'Missed Opportunity'

[tardegrade]

Why are they making a car? Just why?
I get they ship Lithium batteries in their computers but do they really have the urge to shove them into a car?

I mean look CarPlay has to be literally one of the worst things ever, and why would they shift focus on such a huge project when their fundamentals such as the phones and computers are so extremely lacklustre currently? There's a reason why there is so much heat in the forums recently because both the software and hardware aren't living up to the legacy, I mean everything they've been releasing recently feels unfinished.

Another thing to point out is that they dropped the concept of creating their own TV set in favour of providing the software for all other TVs (Apple TV), and I believe they should do the same with this car thing and stick to providing great software for cars out there.

I'm sure they'll make something great, but I'm sure it'll be the next Apple Watch and not the next iPhone...
They really need to shift their priorities.

You have to skate to where the puck will be.

Apple is in a lot of matured or starting to mature markets. In order to continue the long term business growth they will have to diversify into new or growing markets again. Technology is going to dominate the car market in the future, so it makes sense to go there.

Remember 2006, when rumours of an Apple phone were flying around. The majority of the news press said that Apple would never make a phone. They said it was a market that Apple didn't understand and couldn't possibly hope to compete in with no experience. Well 2007 happened and Apple released a product that has been the principle driver of it's growth since that point.

With that in mind, if I was an Apple share holder, I wouldn't begrudge them sinking R&D money into a car at all. It shows that the management are thinking about the next 20 years not just the next 2.

 

[niun]

I think Musk is not seeing the big pictures of apple car. Gonna share my humble opinion.

I don't think Apple wants to do cars like Tesla. Not for now, I mean. Apple will do little cars, like google cars, little autonomous "pods" that can drive you around town. A little urban taxi, right? But you need an "Uber" like app to control it, right? Apple bought one.

So, What Apple is going to do? Fill the streets with little apple cars that you request one to take you from one place to another. Public (paid) transportation. You can unlock the car with your phone or watch, and pay it via apple pay.

Hey, you don't need a car... you need to get from point A to point B. (Today the taxi driver's fight over uber driver's... and both will fight over apple cars...

But, there are some folks that "WANT" a car. Ok, you can buy yours. Connect to the network, and let it drive for you.

What do you think, guys?

I think if Apple tried to take on the taxi / delivery service then they'd have a mahoosive fight on their hands. Nobody can see that far into the future but this could potentially put millions of people out of work. Not a lot of happy campers. I can't imagine the legal battles that would erupt from that.

If however it's just a replacement to the tiny quick cars that people hop into and out of for a jog to the shops then that could work.

Trouble is, can you see JIve putting his name to a "Pod" car?

 

[primesoup2]

They had done the Roadster before that, so they weren't a complete newbie... admittedly, everything safety related was probably handled by Lotus, not Tesla.

Short history: Tesla initially thought retrofitting Lotus chassis was the best way to go to remain cheap (relatively speaking) and get the performance EV working in the shortest amount of time. That proved to be a huge fallacy that costed Tesla into a brink of bankruptcy among other things that were going on. When all things were said and done, the final Roadster only had maybe 6% of what was once Lotus.

 

[AppleScruff1]

Musk does not have the best public poker face. He's a lot better talking to bankers in private meetings than to the press. His eye movement is his tell. The guy lost many of Tesla's key people to Apple resulting in a brain drain.

They are scrambling to finish up the Model 3 (which is not even close to done for production) by next year. If anything, this talk is a dis to save reservations if the Model 3 does not deliver by the end of next year.

Yea, that's it.
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Last week I was searching for a city near me that I know is about 30 miles away. Apple Maps directed me to Africa. How in the hell am I supposed to get to Africa? Underwater tubes? Is this the garbage that is going to power the brains of an Apple Car?

Don't worry, Siri will be there to help you.

 

[Soccertess]

Musk always feels the need to mention Apple at every interview...

Yes, the man who took on all the Auto industry and rocket companies, the man who has done what Nasa couldn't do. is scared of Apple under the leadership of Timmy. The man who brought us the revolution Apple watch (eyes rolling) and Apple TV 4 (god he couldn't even get the remote right)

I'm an Apple Fan (less these last two years for good reason), but I give credit where credit is due. Google Now is cool, Surface 4 is an interesting machine, and Apple OSX is amazing. However, iphone form factor is horrid and if Elon thought phones would get us to Mars, I'm sure he could upend the phone industry as well.

 

[Guido0]

I just think price will be the issue with Apples car. They're a company that's proven they don't like working to a price point. Jony will insist that the entire car be made with glass or something and suddenly the car will cost 50k and only perform like a 35k car.

Don't get me wrong, if Apples car is the same price as the Model 3 and performs the same then I'll happily buy it. Then I'll come back here where you can all throw tomatoes at me for being wrong. I just don't think it'll happen though.

 

[Sy7ygy]

It's a big market. Even if tesla will have sold 1 million cars at that point, that's a fraction of the addressable market. There's plenty of time for Apple to come in and do it right.

Do it right? PAHA.

They cannot even maintain their current systems correctly let alone re-invent the electric car.

Apple are in trouble, not financially yet, but creatively & technically. They do not give a fig about the US with main focus on the far east for more $$$.

 

[smacrumon]

Volkswagen wasn't even a pioneer in their own country!
And Tesla presence in Europe is pretty much nil.

You know, there are cars in all parts of the world, all with different needs and preferences, and there are many, many different categories of cars. Obviously Toyota and Volkswagen have models doing well in several different categories in several different markets. Tesla is the established leader in the electronic car category in North American and Europe.

@Zirel, a fact check on your comment: "Tesla presence in Europe is pretty much nil."
Yes, that statement is blatantly not correct. Accuracy is key to credibility.
FYI:
Tesla Model S, The Biggest Selling Luxury Car In Europe
http://www.forbes.com/sites/neilwin...l-s-the-biggest-selling-luxury-car-in-europe/
Tesla now sells more cars in Europe than in North America – sales are up 136% in European markets
http://electrek.co/2015/10/21/tesla...america-sales-are-up-136-in-european-markets/
Analysis Of Tesla Sales By Geography
http://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckjones/2014/07/31/analysis-of-tesla-sales-by-geography/

 

[Zirel]

@Zirel, a fact check on your comment: "Tesla presence in Europe is pretty much nil."
Yes, that statement is blatantly not correct. Accuracy is key to credibility.
FYI:
Tesla Model S, The Biggest Selling Luxury Car In Europe
http://www.forbes.com/sites/neilwin...l-s-the-biggest-selling-luxury-car-in-europe/
Tesla now sells more cars in Europe than in North America – sales are up 136% in European markets
http://electrek.co/2015/10/21/tesla...america-sales-are-up-136-in-european-markets/
Analysis Of Tesla Sales By Geography
http://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckjones/2014/07/31/analysis-of-tesla-sales-by-geography/

Sorry, I live in Europe.

This is simple and utter math gymnastics, cannot be true.

 

[hortod1]

I'm not talking about being first with some gimmicky feature á la Samsung, I'm talking about being the first established brand within a certain category. Like you said, Blackberry came out before iPhone, but iPhone went for a different category; easy to use smartphones.

Do you think Apple can leapfrog Tesla in terms of ease to use, like they did with Blackberry? I think not. Apple will try to fight in the same category and will thus never become the leader.

It's hard to say what Apple has up its sleeve. One of the original rumored concepts of the iPhone was a flip phone that ran something akin to OSX. The general thought was, what could apple possibly bring to the table? In reality everyone missed the mark and they came up with something revolutionary. For all we know the apple car won't even have wheels, but will simply hover.

 

[smacrumon]

Sorry, I live in Europe.

This is simple and utter math gymnastics, cannot be true.

"Utter math gymnastics, can not be true". Right... What isn't true are your statements. When you have determined exactly the motivations and persons responsible for hiding all the Tesla's across Europe, please do tell . Meanwhile, more details on a Tesla sales in Europe:

Monthly and annual sales figures for Tesla in Europe
http://left-lane.com/european-car-sales-data/tesla/
Tesla Motors Inc European Sales Accounts For Over A Third Of 2015 Total Sales
http://www.thecountrycaller.com/447...ccounts-for-over-a-third-of-2015-total-sales/
Tesla Model S passes BMW, Audi high-end sedans – getting close to Mercedes in Europe
http://www.bmwblog.com/2015/10/19/tesla-model-s-passes-bmw-audi-getting-close-to-mercedes-in-europe/

 

[Zirel]

"Utter math gymnastics, can not be true". Right... What isn't true are your statements. When you have determined exactly the motivations and persons responsible for hiding all the Tesla's across Europe, please do tell . Meanwhile, more details on a Tesla sales in Europe:

Monthly and annual sales figures for Tesla in Europe
http://left-lane.com/european-car-sales-data/tesla/
Tesla Motors Inc European Sales Accounts For Over A Third Of 2015 Total Sales
http://www.thecountrycaller.com/447...ccounts-for-over-a-third-of-2015-total-sales/
Tesla Model S passes BMW, Audi high-end sedans – getting close to Mercedes in Europe
http://www.bmwblog.com/2015/10/19/tesla-model-s-passes-bmw-audi-getting-close-to-mercedes-in-europe/

Whatever, nobody cares.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Short history: Tesla initially thought retrofitting Lotus chassis was the best way to go to remain cheap (relatively speaking) and get the performance EV working in the shortest amount of time. That proved to be a huge fallacy that costed Tesla into a brink of bankruptcy among other things that were going on. When all things were said and done, the final Roadster only had maybe 6% of what was once Lotus.

I know about Tesla's origins and I know about Tesla from like, 2012 on, but I don't really know about the decade in between. Maybe I should read up on that at some point.

 

[H2SO4]

The great thing about brands is public perception can change with enough paid promotion.

The fashion industry has a motto concerning the introduction of new styles that goes, "You hated it, you laughed at it, you bought it."

Absolutely. As a general rule though, big wheels turn very slowly.

 

[Arndroid]

A phone made more sense because that's where they saw the computer market was heading. Cars, though... It just seems very odd, unless they bought an established car brand and used that. Jaguar or something prestigious.

Cars have become the most complex consumer computers in the world.
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I love Elon and his epic trash talking

I think it is weird for a guy who is as thinned skin as he is.

He pretty much cried about the way eccentric billionaires were portrayed on the show Sillicon Valley.

 

[billy the fish]

There's plenty of time for Apple to come in and do it right.

Did you really just use that lame ass quote for the production of a high end EV? They can't even do simple software updates these days without bricking devices. Jeez....

 

[AFEPPL]

I can honestly say living in the UK and traveling pretty much every week (to every continent) it's very rare i see a tesla on the road. Yes, i do see the odd one in London, and yes they have a showroom in London but the only place i see more than the odd one is when I'm in SunnyVale or San Jose.

 

[Nunyabinez]

Wow, if I were a professional comedian I would be really worried that I might lose my job to all the super witty MR posters.

 

[CFreymarc]

Cars have become the most complex consumer computers in the world.

This guy gets it. Over the past forty years, automotive electronics have evolved from analog electronics running a starter, alternator, distributor cap, air conditioner and radio into fully networked, embedded systems. About ten years ago engineering design labor for automotive software and hardware hit parity.

In almost all automotive companies, there are more embedded software engineers than the rest of engineering combined. From that, we are moving into an automotive open systems where your smartphone merges into the car you drive.

 

[maxsix]

Last week I was searching for a city near me that I know is about 30 miles away. Apple Maps directed me to Africa. How in the hell am I supposed to get to Africa? Underwater tubes? Is this the garbage that is going to power the brains of an Apple Car?

I've repeatedly tried to like... Apple Maps. Yet the incredible inaccuracies are just shameful. Forget comparisons, Apple's far more capable than their current work reveals.

That they've made Apple Maps the default app on new iPhones is a clear message that their narcissistic personality is overpowering any shred of awareness they once had.

 

[smacrumon]

The full interview of the Elon Musk at Code Conference 2016 was uploaded yesterday and is a great watch. Recommend it.

 

[Storming]

"I think it's great they're doing this, and I hope it works out," said Musk. "It's just a missed opportunity. It's a couple years... they'll make a good car and be successful."

Heh... An odd sequence of thoughts. Appears he caught himself with the "It's just a missed opportunity. It's a couple years..." and needed to quickly correct serving up some lukewarm props.

Even Musk knows it's not to Tesla's benefit getting Apple's automotive development engineers riled up and even more motivated from his backhanded remark.

Heh...Interesting you can determine Elon's thought process. Were you able make a prophesy of what his next response would be? He was saying exactly what it is, a missed opportunity. Apple has always been behind, but they do deliver in the end result. Apple is on Apple's time, they are focused their work and in their privacy, not any form of scrutiny from critics in which will question their 'Ability' to be in the autonomous market.

That was not a back handed remark or insult at all. Musk is arrogant and conceited, yes. Derogatory, no. Most of his interviews consist of snarky remarks. I would hate to see how you would react to Elon's 'Put-Downs' or 'Back handed Insults' in a real debate.
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Did you really just use that lame ass quote for the production of a high end EV? They can't even do simple software updates these days without bricking devices. Jeez....

Why so aggressive?

 

[Ian Howlett]

I'm hearing, "Hey Apple, please buy Tesla."

 

[teknikal90]

Look at the archive here from ten years ago. The same thing was said of an Apple branded phone.
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Considers time zone, for central Europe, it is the middle of the day right now.

you werent even around here 10 years ago! lol
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I'm hearing, "Hey Apple, please buy Tesla."

Tesla's stock is highly highly overvalued

 

[maflynn]

I think he's going to regret that statement in the coming years

Given the recent news, I'd say he was spot on, at least in terms of the missed opportunity portion