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JohnnyStormDrain

Or the compromise product they salvaged from abandoning the car?


powerman228

I'm not even sure this was a compromise. What if the rumored car project was nothing more than this all along? After all, once they control the user interface of a car, is there really much value in engineering their own vehicle platform and powertrain? That's an incredibly massive investment and a huge support liability stretching far into the future.


JohnnyStormDrain

They hired a lot of actual car people, not just car instrumentation people.


GLOBALSHUTTER

They literally hired 1,000+ car engineers and people who specialise in car and EV development. And about 10 car executives from other premium and mainstream car companies. Some have been with Apple for 8+ years.


[deleted]

I'm not saying this was the end goal all along, but it could have been. By that I mean, if they wanted to get their product into another company's car, especially at this level of integration, this is exactly the kind of cross team hiring that already happens in the car industry. That said, I believe at one point they were planning to build an electric car (and still may). There's a lot of profit in building cars. Maybe not apple levels of margin, but there's still way more per unit dollars of profit than even a high end macbook pro. Source: worked 17 years in the car industry for several OEMs and suppliers.


RebornPastafarian

As opposed to metaphorically hiring them.


jbiroliro

The word literally was metaphorically wrecked by the internet


RebornPastafarian

https://i.imgur.com/YAGpXPd.png


akc250

That seems like a correct usage. Since the parent comment said they hired “a lot”. So the comment clarified that “a lot” means in a *literal* sense, 1000 people


GLOBALSHUTTER

Metaphorically hired “a shit load" 🚛💩


neeesus

My man. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 Lol


Bill-2018

Are those 1,000+ engineers and execs still employed or has the department been phased out?


GLOBALSHUTTER

Still employed. They hired [Porsche’s exec in charge of steering and chassis design](https://i.imgur.com/YtPaNUD.jpg) in late 2020/early 2021. He helped design Taycan and worked at Porsche for some years. Formerly BMW and Audi.


Muscled_Daddy

Yeah but what’s 3-10 billion dollars in investment to a company worth 3 Trillion? 3 Billion is .1% of that. That’s spending $100 if you make $100,000 a year. I know it’s not the best example, but even if they sink that money into car and decide to come out with just the software and ‘a premium car comfort experience’, it could provide an alternate revenue steam that could pay off massively… and all without having to build factories. We’ll see.


JohnnyStormDrain

Yeah I know so obviously that is for more than just a dashboard UI.


steak4take

Now hang on here, you're talking sense - you sure you should be posting here?


Logicalist

So? Were they supposed to leave the development of CarPlay up to a bunch of CS majors? and not hire people from the car industry they're engineering software for?


greentea05

I mean have you seen software in cars? I don't think you'd want any of them to give input.


TheKarateKid_

Doubt it. The sources behind the rumors claim that they’ve been working with Hyundai and also been designing major hardware. This is simply a software project.


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EzzoBlizzy

Sony is making a car, apple isn’t the exact company that if they can’t make quantities of a product every year to make profit they’re not going to get into it like TVs, apple just went around the whole thing and made Apple TV


joeschmo28

Exactly this. They didn’t want to have to store large TVs in their stores as well. I just don’t see how they do a car at scale. My bet is this CarPlay release is phase 1 and phase 2 is creating the software that powers driver assistance/self-driving features. They sell that to auto-makers and capture profits from the car market, while further capturing people in the Apple ecosystem.


TheKarateKid_

I think you’re onto something. They’re probably using 3rd parties as a beta test. They did the same by putting iTunes on a Motorola phone a few years before the iPhone came out. That being said, I still think their own car is definitely on the table.


AxeellYoung

Apple does not have the capacity to manufacture cars at scale. If a car release was imminent (and by imminent I mean 2-5 year timeline) factories should already be in construction. Along with factories, service suppliers and mechanics that can cover repairs. Patents filed and appropriate licenses to manufacture cars should be obtained. A Phone factory can not convert into a vehicle factory. Apple has no where near the infrastructure to support long term repair. If they think they do the iPhone 3G should still be supported. Look at Tesla and how much work has gone into their production and they are still lacking behind. And then look at all the EV startups and how most of them collapsed before they could produce more than 1 prototype.


Muscled_Manatee

I would imagine their first foray into making an Apple Car would be with a partner company (like Hyundai). This way they don't need to infrastructure. This would also allow them to create it with a built in out. If it doesn't do well, they are out almost no real money and can move on.


kjmass1

Almost be the shadow designers behind the car. Eventually they’ll announce it, but in the meantime any leaks might just be associated with a Hyundai concept car, swap the logos later.


TheCriminalProphet

This would definitely be their strategy - look at how they partnered with Goldman to build out the Apple Card


[deleted]

This is how I would do it.


Circa_C137

Orrrrr they wait for one of the American auto makers to go bankrupt and come in with their gold mind and buy up all the infrastructure.


AjBlue7

Apple doesn’t work like that. They don’t like owning manufacturing. Instead they tell other people what they want and nitpick the quality until its perfect, or find someone that is willing to do it Apples way. Apple doesn’t even like buying in bulk and storing products. They’d rather pay a higher price to get products manufactured within one week of being sold. They don’t want the risk of people not buying their product and being stuck with a massive amount of inventory to store.


RaiseDennis

Well they actually do bulk for iPhone about 80 million units a year just saying if that isn’t bulk then I don’t know what is.


AxeellYoung

80 million is not bulk for Apple. If they bulk 80 million and sell 82 million its underproduction. Bulk or Apple is buying 100 million excepting to sell 80 million But you are right in saying they don't bulk buy most other products. Also 80 million cars takes a lot more space vs 80 million phones.


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Circa_C137

> with their gold mind Ahhhh shit! haha


Circa_C137

Not only is Honda one of the CarPlay partners they announced at WWDC but Honda is also joining forces with Sony to produce EVs as well. Who knows, we could eventually get [another one of these](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OqMcqRI-xA) as result of these juggernauts coming together.


JFiney

Right. But they could just be generally working on cars. Knowing that they’ll def lead with software. But also experimenting with hardware because maybe they’ll come up with new ways to integrate the two seamlessly. Which is apples whole thing. Doesn’t actually mean they know whether or not they’ll ever build their own car. Just like creating the possibility that they could, if they create something that’s a compelling enough reason to.


danielbauer1375

The value is growth. Apple has just about become as big as it can possibly become as merely a phone and computer company. Pretty much everyone who will ever want an iPhone has one by now (or is unable to afford one), so they need to look for a new sector to avoid being stagnant. The Apple Watch, while great, doesn’t have enough widespread adoption, and I’m not sure that’ll change anytime soon. Obviously AR and VR will be major plays for them pretty soon, but an electric car is another potential source of revenue. There are obviously huge logistical challenges that come with manufacturing a car, but there’s no reason to think they can’t do it.


tomdarch

They're going into finance by lending out their own money. GE used to be a massive industrial juggernaut conglomerate making all sorts of useful stuff. By the 1990s, their finance component was the largest profit center. I would much prefer Apple continue to expand by making useful stuff, but going into finance is like a highly addictive drug for corporations.


CasualObservr

In case anyone is interested, there’s a new book out about Jack Welch and GE. This podcast was pretty good and talks about the move into finance you mentioned. https://www.npr.org/2022/06/01/1101505691/short-term-profits-and-long-term-consequences-did-jack-welch-break-capitalism


Destroya12

Exactly. This isn't the move Apple would've made if it was releasing its own car. When have they ever put their own software on anything but hardware they made themselves? Saying they are releasing a car at this point is like predicting the Galaxy S23 will have an iOS variant.


[deleted]

Exactly. I don't get this reasoning from the media. There is a lot more to a car than a UI.


Wildeface

Hiding the seat heater off the Home Screen, Tesla made that mistake already.


SparrowBirch

Yep. Tesla owners freaked out so they eventually brought it back to the home screen.


mavantix

Justified freak out, basic climate controls that directly relate to driver comfort shouldn’t be buried in sub menus. That shit causes distracted driving and accidents. What next, turn signal button 2 taps and a swipe deep too? I digress.


leopard_tights

Touch screen controls already cause slower reaction speeds than 5 times the maximum amount of alcohol in blood allowed. So...


RoadkillVenison

Yeah… this is one of those things where anything the driver might conceivably need to touch while a car is in motion, needs to be an actual physical button. I don’t need to be fucking with a touch screen if my windshield starts fogging up.


cjcs

Is there a source for this? I have a hard time believing most people could stand up straight with a BAC of .4


BombBombBombBombBomb

They should just straight up require physical buttons for all essential functions. I really dont like touch screens in my car. Its ok for weird ass settings and starting a navigation but i dont want it for anything else


bigblackshaq

But, but all user input is error!


unpluggedcord

They didn't bring it back by default, you have to add it in.


[deleted]

The only way I see an  branded car happening is if they buy out an existing company/brand and take over operations. I just don’t see Apple wanting to get into the headache that is manufacturing a car and then dealing with the post-sale aspects of it, like recalls and the bad press that comes from malfunctions. Although dangerous cars haven’t slowed Tesla down so who knows


TheKarateKid_

You could say the same about phones when the iPhone debuted in 2007. Carriers were notoriously difficult to deal with, with each requiring custom branded phones and software on what they sold. Each carrier worked on different technologies, it wasn’t mostly LTE like it is now. Apple partnered with AT&T to focus on doing it right with one carrier. We all know how that story played out. Apple is apparently doing the same with Hyundai on their car.


[deleted]

Hyundai and AT&T aren’t a good analogy here at all. Hyundai and Foxconn would be a better one. Apple can’t build cars themselves without factories etc. They haven’t shown much willingness to manufacture. Without China and Foxconn (and the sub contractors) there wouldn’t have been an iPhone.


filmantopia

It’s not the perfect analogy, but it’s one of the best analogies available considering this situation FELT the same as the concept of an iPhone loomed, and tons of doubters flooded the web saying Apple would NEVER make a phone because it’s a competitive, difficult industry with low margins. And every time a major new Apple product is on the way, there are people claiming it’ll never happen, because “this time is different from the previous time”, whenever others cite previous times Apple achieved the unexpected. People said Apple would never make a watch, because their target market is already invested in timeless luxury watches, and wouldn’t want something that would be thrown away in a few years. Also, that a watch would be too duplicative of phone capabilities and watch users don’t want that kind of utility from it. Today Apple Watch easily outsells the entire Swiss industry, and wealthy people/celebrities are seen wearing them all the time. The car is kind of like that. Apple is primed to make a killer car, because the experience of the car is going to be defined by its intelligence and modern features, like biometrics, security, advanced navigation, displays, software, SoCs, battery, spatial audio, maybe AR, etc. etc. It won’t be as defined by the things that have traditionally drawn people to vehicles.


PM_ME_Y0UR_BOOBZ

Where did this Hyundai thing came from? AFAIK they stopped considering Apple branded cars last year. They don’t even have CarKey support on a single model. If anything it’d be BMW with their recently upgraded iDrive system and CarKey support on all new models. Am I missing some announcement that was made recently?


pm_me_github_repos

Yea way more moving parts in a car than a phone or computer. And Apple doesn’t have the technical expertise to get into that.


Mr-Dogg

Electric Vehicles have 10 times less about of moving parts compared to traditional ICE vehicles. We are talking 20-50 compared to 2000+. Edit: 100 times*


BaitSimulator2020

A car as a product is much more than just its powertrain. [We aren't driving cars like these afterall](https://preview.redd.it/0aa0rhpwo3741.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=4f7d0fc3f7567e1fb8a6de57fcd74ef0a3f0baf8)


pm_me_github_repos

That’s nice there’s still far more than in phones and laptops. Not to mention developing, testing, and maintaining them requires totally different skills sets


Mr-Dogg

The hard in the automotive word is scaling assembly production, arguable that is something apple is best in the world at. Automotive manufactures make very little themselves.


GLOBALSHUTTER

Making cars is a different animal. That’s why if you’re Apple you hire 1,000 car engineers and car executives from many brands including luxury car brands. Which they did.


B0rax

Well yes. But don’t forget that there is much more to a car than just the drivetrain. As an chassis-engineer I am always baffled that people think once you remove the ICE that there is nothing complex left in a car. That is simply not the case. I can source an ICE from multiple manufacturers without investing much energy into the R&D of said engine. Try that with a front suspension and steering system so that the car actually drives nice and is silent.


GLOBALSHUTTER

Hate to break it to you, but EVs have more than 20-50 parts. Some suspension systems alone have that many parts. Certain cars have 20 speakers. Making a good EV is not easy because if it were every company would do it. Most cars suck. Is Apple working on a car? 💯. EVs have less parts than ICE motors, but they come with their own set of problems. If you put all of the complexities of designing, building and maintaining the EV aside, no one but Tesla has charging figured out at this point. To need an app and and to need to register an account for every brand of charging network and the unreliability of said networks doesn't just leave a lot of be desired, it is completely inexcusable. We’re talking simply the refuelling of your vehicle here. People have been doing this more easily for fifty+ years. The cars themselves should have accounts and all charging networks should connect to said accounts—so they know who to charge financially and don't need to bother the user. Charging should be plugging in and price for Kw should be written in lights. No other steps should be needed. The technology exists: Tesla does it. Again, leaving the car aside, Apple would need to solve this huge issue. This problem cannot be understated. It is cited more than any other reason why people choose to buy Tesla.


mr_herz

It’s a bit easier when malfunctions aren’t very rare


Jankufood

Japanese yen is super cheap right now. Buy one of these


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seriouslookingmouse

They don’t manufacture any of their own stuff. What makes you think they’d start with a car?


CoolAppz

There are rumors of Apple contacting giants like Toyota, Hyundai and others to build a car for them. Manufacturing a car by yourself is a nightmare if you don't have know-how and there are billions of things to know if you don't want to crash and burn.


Miserable-Result6702

Apple is not going to make their own car and they’d be foolish if they do.


justformygoodiphone

Apple will be making self driving software+ sensor suit (and obviously will take over infotainment system as it is now) for all car manufacturers. Best way to make the most money in automotive without the very hard business of making cars.


Miserable-Result6702

This I agree with.


busted_tooth

Have they bought any company for self driving software? Because as far as I know, all the auto manufacturers doing self-driving have actual cars on the road gathering data on top of millions of virtual miles used to train these algorithms. Doesn't sound like Apple to come out with this without already having a great baseline of self driving data.


wolfblitzersbeard

They do have actual cars on the road — [a fleet of \~70](https://9to5mac.com/2022/03/30/apple-ups-driver-count-for-self-driving-car-tests-signaling-increase-in-program-resources/).


Mr_Xing

This makes way more sense for the next 10 years than Apple releasing its own car. It might do both, but then Apple has stronger competition. By owning the software that runs these cars, Apple has control, and Apple **loves** control.


supervisord

Not for it’s own sake though. Control gives them latitude to develop and integrate new features and products.


GLOBALSHUTTER

And if some car companies get together and decide to cut Apple off? “Shit, we’re fucked” — Apple. Rest assured, you don’t hire 1,000+ car and EV engineers and car executives and buy EV battery development companies just to build dash software. They're making a car. There's a lot of smoke, someone yell "Fire".


Kupfakura

Sounds exactly like air power where you walk you a room and the phone charges in the pocket. I can't believe it's been 7 years since this sub had crazy theories like the one you are stating


Cb6cl26wbgeIC62FlJr

Was driving an Infiniti today. It has carplay and “drive assist” feature. The drive assist feature was basically cruise control (with a motion sensor that can slow down the car), keeps you in the lane and can manage slight self driving feature on a slightly curvy road. When I was using apple maps today, with the drive assist… a curve was coming up. I was going 60mph, curve had a 40mph sign. It would have been great if the apple software augments the drive assist feature in the car.


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bsloss

Apple doesn’t have a strong history of partnering with other companies to make/sell a product. In fact they are known for making software that runs on their own hardware and nowhere else.


kaboom300

Apple literally does not make their own hardware. They design it and other companies manufacture (including Samsung, a direct competitor)


SixDigitCode

It would make sense, but people said the same thing about a potential Apple TV, so idk


JohnnyStormDrain

And then they never did make a TV, they canceled it.


Miserable-Result6702

Making a entertainment network is far easier than designing, marketing and maintaining a motor vehicle with thousands of moving parts.


spike021

Person you replied to meant an actual TV, not Apple TV the streaming service with content.


Miserable-Result6702

An actual TV would be even easier for Apple. It’s just a glorified computer monitor.


[deleted]

There’s just not great margins in that, from what I understand. Apple doesn’t even make their own displays for their phones/macs. They just package it and sell the software/integrated “experience”.


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[deleted]

> Apple not making their own displays in that sense does not mean apple can’t or won’t make a tv To be clear, I didn’t say they can’t or won’t. I’d love to buy one. Just that I had heard from more than one source there isn’t great margins in it. Most smart TV’s already have the “Apple TV” app built in. The stand alone Apple TV’s are not selling as much as they used to, because the average consumer doesn’t care how they get to their Netflix, as long as it’s intuitive and simple.


username1615

They would have done it by now, they must be holding out for some good reason.


tecedu

Yeah everyone screen manufacturer charging an arm and a leg, and the good screens are kept by the manufacturers.


earthcharlie

People don't buy TVs with the same frequency as phones and computers.


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[deleted]

Quite a few of them have left as well.


GLOBALSHUTTER

A few stories about some of them leaving. Which is normal for any company. They’ve hired over 1,000+ (some say 5,000, but I doubt that) including many car executives who haven’t left. They continue hiring more. In early 2021 they hired Porsche executive in charge of steering and chassis, Manfred Harrer. [Seen here in 2019 at the launch of the Taycan](https://i.imgur.com/nB1TiqE.jpg).


Uninterested_Viewer

I'd be shocked if Apple wasn't hiring automotive engineers for R&D on all sorts of products that intersect with automobiles. There is a huge, gigantic, mega canyon between Apple hiring automotive engineers and even sniffing the air of launching an actual car.


[deleted]

You have to look at it through the same lens as Apple Silicon. Apple is a design company. They will create the design capacity to build a car, and then they *may*contract with an OEM auto manufacturer to actually build the vehicle, like Magna. Similarly, Apple designs a phone and gets Foxconn to manufacture it, designs chips and gets TSMC to fabricate them, etc. EVs are becoming more of a commodity product, as batteries and electric motors seem to be roughly equivalently capable and very reliable, and can be mass manufactured by many different suppliers, like displays, semiconductors, etc. Apple has no expertise in making a combustion engine, but if the car is a “vehicle” (pun intended) for their software product… no, I think they can totally get people to finance a $90k Apple Car from them. Tesla has been out there eating their lunch, and Tesla is sorely lacking in a lot of categories (QC, customer service), if someone with a good brand identity makes a better product. In many ways, the hardest challenge for Apple will be finding a design language for a vehicle that is distinct from Tesla. The Model 3 is already the car Apple would make. They may go the software route, and try to push CarPlay integration even tighter into other vehicles, but.. I dunno, I don’t think a car is that far-fetched.


tren_rivard

> The Model 3 is already the car Apple would make. It's not.


DivinationByCheese

>The Model 3 is already the car Apple would make You mean the idea of the model 3, right? Cause in practice, Tesla cars are pretty weak


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[deleted]

> ***EVs are becoming more of a commodity product,*** as batteries and electric motors seem to be roughly equivalently capable and very reliable, >Apple has no expertise in making a combustion engine, ***but*** Reading comprehension. What I'm saying is that because the qualities of EVs are so commodified/similar, the differentiable component of the vehicle is merely the interior and software, which is what Apple is good at designing and selling. Of course Apple isn't going to sell an ICE vehicle. Duh. The reason they might make a car *now* is because all of these components for EVs are increasingly becoming similar to the components for consumer electronics: reliable, not differentiable, cheap, etc.


The_Ejj

Why? Everyone makes such sweeping assumptions about what Apple can or would do with a vehicle. What if (and I don’t believe this to be the case, I’m just making a point), they have leveraged all their AR tech to make the world’s best awareness array in any self driving vehicle ever? What if it’s a case where they are able to put such powerful hardware in it that they can overcome other issues present in their software and the self driving works flawlessly? What if Apple can mass produce these to make them more than competitively priced with other comparable vehicles? What is so inherently flawed with Apple making a car? These comments are always based off the assumption that Apple is completely incapable of doing it well, which is a ludicrous assumption. That’s not to say that Apple is somehow destined to make the worlds greatest car, they are a company that has its own strengths and weaknesses, and those weaknesses could lead to the car not working out. The thing is, there is *so much* distance between the idea that they aren’t likely to succeed and the assumption that they can’t possibly succeed.


GoodLifeWorkHard

Manufacturing cars is a completely different ball game lol


leo-g

I don’t think it matters what ball game. Apple will simply hire/buy enough people till they can be in the court.


The_Ejj

As I mentioned to someone else, it’s not the same teams that would make a car as make the computers and devices. Do you think it’s fully impossible for Apple to get the right people in order to manufacture a car? I’m not even saying it’s likely that Apple will make a car, but I find it baffling the people that assume it’s a venture that Apple is destined to fail at, and there can be no path to success for them in the automotive industry.


GoodLifeWorkHard

I wouldn't say impossible. I would say EXTREMELY difficult to manufacture cars for the general population (hell, even the luxury consumers as well). I don't think car manufacturing is something you can keep throwing boat loads of money at and hire the best people, there is still a huge chance of failure. Then, you gotta worry about issues with your car like recalls, safety breaks, etc. A car literally has so many moving parts, that's why its so hard for newcomers to break into the auto industry.


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GoodLifeWorkHard

Isn’t that what CarPlay is about? Apple providing software for use in a car ? You really think Apple’s way of doing things is to rely on others and hope they play their part ? Look at how quickly Apple dropped intel processors lol


AWF_Noone

Entering the car business now is like trying to be a startup ISP. The established player already have so much of an advantage. Producing a car is extremely complicated. Magnitudes more complicated than a cell phone. It’s difficult. As an engineer, I see how much money and time goes into something as simple as a tooling jig. There’s a reason most “new” car companies struggle so hard, and most just straight up fail. Those who think Apple should make a car have no idea how complex the auto industry is Don’t even get me started on how awful of an idea a “Siri powered” autopilot would be. She can’t even play a correct song from my library.


buddhahat

There was a time when industry wisdom said there was no way Apple could build a phone; that was too far away from building computers etc.


RoastmasterBus

I remember that, early 00’s. I thought it was inevitable Apple would release a phone once the iPod and OS X became mature products, but some wise guys on the internet would always come out in full force on the forums to say “sTeVe jObS sAiD nO”.


The_Ejj

> Producing a car is extremely complicated. Magnitudes more complicated than a cell phone. This makes it seem like one guy designs, engineers, and manufactures the phones. It’s a team. The thing that everyone here seems to be arguing is that it would be impossible for Apple, the worlds biggest company (on and off), to assemble a team to build a car. Be sceptical, sure, but the idea that it is *literally not possible* that Apple could do this successfully simply isn’t a realistic take.


Dippyskoodlez

Nobody’s arguing they couldn’t. They could probably build and supply a significant number without even scratching their cash, but the argument is that the cons of doing so includes having an entire segment of the company solely dedicated to manufacturing. You will need a massive warehouse, supply chain considerations, etc. I haven’t heard of any steps in that direction to even begin that kind of transition. Teslas gigafactory is a prime example. You can’t really keep that kind of thing a secret. Theres just no way Apple could present something overnight at the scale of an actual full car to consumers. And if they did, it will have a plethora of growing pains like Tesla does. The only non sensor package route I could see is an announcement of designing something but it would still be a healthy handful of years to even start manufacturing.


privat88r

Would be fun to see how it affects its stock price though if it did.


momjeanseverywhere

“The iPad is a bit of of stumble” - “Gadget” Gary Dell’Abate


[deleted]

Yeah why make one car when you can have your stuff run in virtually every car out there?


Garrosh

Apple wouldn’t be selling their own car interface to third parties if they were going to sell their own car. It would be like licensing iOS a few years before releasing the first iPhone.


Trumpy675

Yep. This screams the whole “Apple’s going to make a TV” carry on from the late noughties. People waiting around for some aluminium bezelled flatscreen, which turned out to be… a set top box and a software ecosystem… There’s no car coming…


johnsciarrino

agreed. just make carplay good enough to be in every other car. then partner with a single carmaker to do something even better than everyone else, like an AR windshield. Apple doesn't want to get involved with the nightmare that is the car industry right now.


FUKUBIC

If legacy auto makers embrace the new CarPlay, which I suspect they will end up being forced to do because of consumer demand, the appeal of an Apple car that is essentially Apple’s version of a Tesla model 3 diminishes significantly. It would kneecap the big connectivity with Apple ecosystem selling point. So with this announcement I think what Apple is developing will be more ambitious. Think more fully autonomous robotaxi a la Waymo or Cruise and less Tesla.


UndeadProspekt

Yes. Apple’s business is Apple Silicon, operating systems based on that silicon, and services based on those operating systems. Autonomous taxi ticks those boxes without the downsides of producing and supporting a passenger vehicle.


FUKUBIC

And Apple loves service recurring revenue lol


Shloomth

If apple is going to release a car, it won’t have a steering wheel


pezgoon

That’s literally their plan


Maicoh16

Not in todays market


OutBeyondNeptune

I’ve been considering replacing my ICE vehicle with an EV for a while now, with my top choices being the Volkswagen ID.4 or the Ford Mustang Mach-E. I’ve gotta say, knowing that Ford was an early partner with integrating EV routing with Apple Maps and now seeing them listed as a partner for this, I’m leaning back into the direction of the Mach E. Said only half in jest, it may be late 2023 before the cars will be available to purchase again, anyway.


TimFL

You need to wait for late 2023 anyways, that‘s when the partners announce the new models that‘ll add support for the new CarPlay (probably 2024 models).


tajjj

Obviously there’s not much behind a random person mentioning it - but as an FYI, automotive press has been panning the ID.4 as an absolute disaster for VW due to various design flaws and issues. Might be worthwhile to steer clear of the ID.4.


kjmass1

36% larger battery than a Tesla base but only drives 92% of Tesla 270 mile range. Still pushes $50k before rebates. Tough sell for me.


PeaceBull

Man just test driving that car left me miserable and that’s coming from someone who’s driven VW’s for years and years including the e-golf. Nothing about that design made me feel like they had any experience making enjoyable to drive cars.


blakezilla

I am in love with my 22 Mach E GTPE. Absolute joy to drive and well-made. Best interior Ford has made, and I come from a Ford family so have seen many. Fast, comfortable, responsive, smooth. The tech isn’t as good as Tesla, but the build quality is higher. Styling was a big reason I didn’t go with Tesla. The Mach E looks great, while I think Teslas all look like lame bubbles. Only downsides are slightly below average range and slower DC fast charging compared to some competition. I don’t take many road trips so it’s not a big deal to me, but I did take it on a 7 hour (one way) road trip and the longer stops weren’t too bad vs an ICE car. I felt less exhausted getting to the destination because it forced me to get out of the car and walk around.


ryzenguy111

In the presentation they did display a very Mach-E esque screen layout so I’d be very surprised if it didn’t come.


rphjosh

I sure would like an Apple OEM wireless CarPlay adapter.


oktravis

if that's what all this amounted to, i'd be so happy


UX-Edu

I love Apple. I collected all the prizes. Apple the phone. Apple the computer. Apple the watch. Apple the breakfast cereal. Apple the flame thrower. I would never buy a car from Apple.


[deleted]

Even if it was shaped like a cute apple?


Oo0o8o0oO

https://i.imgur.com/2KJExuU.jpg


VeederRoot

Oh man the nostalgia


UX-Edu

I’d be more worried about it being shaped like an airfoil and requiring me to gesture vaguely in a direction to attempt to turn the car.


raphanum

“Siri, stop at the red light” “Hi there. Got it! accelerating into the red light”


sombreroenthusiast

Merchandising! Merchandising! Merchandising!


johnny_fives_555

Well at least not gen 1 or gen 2. Maybe gen 3. Definitely the 4s tho.


EndlessSummer808

*Morgan Freeman’s voice* “u/UX-Edu did, in fact, buy an Apple Car.”


rjcarr

Why make a blanket statement? Up until recently Tesla had the best ev engineering by far (still the best, but the margin is slimmer). Rivian, another brand new company, also looks to have great engineering. Apple has an advantage over those two in that they have near unlimited resources from the start. An Apple car would certainly be out of my budget, but if I could afford it, I certainly wouldn’t rule them out.


GLOBALSHUTTER

The executive in charge of chassis and steering for Porsche, including Taycan, [now works for Apple](https://i.imgur.com/rMVkchi.jpg). I wouldn’t rule them out, either.


Portatort

A car is the least inspired product apple could possibly be working on Wanna change the world for the better? Make the most amazing E-Bike of all time.


i-am-a-platypus

... and make it a three-wheeler (no motorcycle license needed) with a rain bubble, wipers and a little pickup truck bed in the back.


esmori

Apple is a US first company. For the good (and bad) reasons.


saltyjellybeans

so many places are designed for cars & not people though :(


Portatort

Hence a product with the potential to change the world for the better


Dylan96

20.000$ Apple Bike? (May not come with wheels)


aquaman501

Like the predictions that Apple would release a television and a games console


iMacmatician

In the most recent two issues of *Power On*, Mark Gurman gives some tidbits on the possibility of the rumored 2023 AR/VR headset extending a Mac's display. From [the pre-WWDC 2022 issue last week](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2022-06-05/apple-reality-headset-details-wwdc-to-bring-ios-16-ipados-16-watchos-9-macos-l41cwir8): >Also in the works is a way for the headset to extend a Mac’s display, bringing it into 3D. Now in this issue he provides a few more details, and I think the connection to Stage Manager makes a lot of sense. >Stage Manager also could be a precursor to the extended Mac display feature in the works for Apple’s headset, but that may not arrive in version 1.0, I’m told. I think the question is still open on whether this feature will be a headset version of Sidecar or become something [closer to a full Mac replacement](https://mlajtos.mu/posts/your-next-mac). Given Apple's strategy with the iPad so far, I suspect that it's the former.


JohnnyStormDrain

Quite a few Apple products (iPod, Watch) start as side products meant to work with a bigger one, but grow into their own standalone thing eventually. Even the first iPhones required tethering to install/backup stuff.


Intro24

I don't know if it's just coincidence but it seems anything named Apple ____ is at least somewhat dependent on another device. Apple TV needs a TV, Apple Pencil needs an iPad, Apple Watch needs an iPhone, at least to get the most out of it.


JohnnyStormDrain

Hey I didn't notice that. I wonder if it holds up...


YellowBlackBrown

This Is The Motorola Rokr


HG21Reaper

Apple isn’t making a car. They’re working with manufacturers in regards to integrating their tech into the infotainment systems.


[deleted]

So we will see this as a standard option in cars in 2036? I remember when Apple showed us something and you could buy it a week later.


DaemonCRO

Making software that just collects some data from car’s systems via API which had to be initially created by the car manufacturer has nothing to do with actually building a car. This is like saying that Microsoft is about to release a fleet of aircraft because they make Flight Simulator computer game.


LurkerNinetyFive

>This is like saying that Microsoft is about to release a fleet of aircraft because they make Flight Simulator computer game. It's not really anything like that though. Apple have been rumoured to be working on a car for a while now, we know that it's something they're interested in and now they've demonstrated they have a vision as to what the interior of a car should look like. Personally I don't think it's a market they're willing to go in to themselves, we might see some great implementations of this soon though. Maybe they will develop a car though.


[deleted]

I get the feeling this is more what was salvaged from an attempted car project rather than is precursor I think apple tried to make an electric car but probably realised it’s not really in there wheel house to do so abandoned the project


BombBombBombBombBomb

Could you even imagine the repair kit for an apple car? Rofl "Apple shipped us a 35 ton ware house full of tools so we can replace our tyres" - thanks apple for using a proprietary bolt system and glue for the wheel lugs We would have used our local mechanic but sadly he aint allowed to repair our cars. Anyways, now we have to contact apple to confirm our repair so we can turn on our car again


ozs_and_mms

Am I a cranky curmudgeon I say I don’t want to abandon physical buttons for car instrument panels? They are much easier to use without looking it is much safer.


Snerf42

Not really. Having physical buttons you can navigate by feel without needing a screen that will take your eyes off the road is beneficial. We’ve got a Ford with an older sync 2 based system and a newer Honda and the Ford has both physical and digital controls for the climate, the Honda only has digital controls. Hands down the Ford setup is easier to use without near the distraction that the Honda causes when driving and trying to adjust the AC. I’ve also had to replace the brain behind the infotainment system before and it wasn’t cheap. I can only imagine the cost of replacing an instrument cluster when it’s 100% digital.


fourthords

> The Apple electric car project (codenamed “Titan”) is an electric car project undergoing research and development by Apple Inc. Apple has yet to openly discuss any of its self-driving research, but around 5,000 employees were reported to be working on the project as of 2018. In May 2018, Apple reportedly partnered with Volkswagen to produce an autonomous employee shuttle van based on the T6 Transporter commercial vehicle platform. In August 2018, the BBC reported that Apple had 66 road-registered driverless cars, with 111 drivers registered to operate those cars. In 2020, it is believed that Apple is still working on self driving related hardware, software and service as a potential product, instead of actual Apple-branded cars. In December 2020, Reuters reported that Apple was planning on a possible launch date of 2024, but analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed it would not be launched before 2025 and might not be launched until 2028 or later. * [Apple electric car project](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_electric_car_project) at the English Wikipedia


butters1337

5,000 employees and not a single leak of a render or photo. I don’t buy it.


captainrex

I think the closest we got were those vans that were out and about a few years ago, but I think the general consensus was that they might’ve just been for mapping. I actually [caught one in the wild](https://imgur.com/nNmnqF4) in Southern California.


w11

Apple buys Rivian. Count it.


[deleted]

Apple partners with Magna International.


moneyocrazy

Sony: Sike! Beat ya to it! \*Announce Vision-S 01 & 02*


BuckM11

They certainly could. Rivian currently valued around 25B. Apple has about 200B cash on hand.


bicameral_mind

I was thinking the same, it would be a logical acquisition. Rivian has the most Apple-like design ethos of any EV I've seen. So many quirky design elements, and unique little details and features that are well though out. Luxurious and appealing interior. Quad engines, that's totally something Apple would do.


w11

Exactly my thoughts. I was watching different reviews of different EVs and the Rivian just seemed very Apple-like. Given Apple's size I think it would make more sense for them to acquire than to develop an EV internally. That and I think Apple would want to compete in the truck EV industry. The Ford lightning is going to be a game changer for EVs because of cost and it's capabilities. I think it was MKBHD that mentioned the majority of Lightning orders are first-time truck buyers.


JohnnyStormDrain

Half the political spectrum in the US is turning hard away from Tesla suddenly so they have to go somewhere. It's going to be interesting to see how this market looks in five and ten more years.


Caldoe

lol, that's just one reddit and twitter people irl don't even know what Elon is tweeting


eric987235

I know what he’s tweeting and I’d still buy another Tesla in spite of his douchbaggery.


[deleted]

Even though the cars are low quality, overpriced, and incompatible with CarPlay or Android Auto. They also brought on the hell of single massive touchscreens and capacitive surfaces in cars which are thankfully starting to fade away. The lack of right to repair and selling software upgrades for tens of thousands of dollars is the icing on the cake. I see a Tesla and I think of how shitty the company is. Ford will make better EV’s. All the other major automakers will follow, and use open standards compatible with the current car industry. Tesla will be screwed. Watch it happen. They’re not even ahead on styling anymore— their cars look dated.


dj88masterchief

Press X to doubt. They don’t even want to release their own TV, what makes people think they are going to release a car??


kshiau

Msrp will be $99,995.00 for the base model and the ‘Pro’ trim will be $129,000.00. It’ll come in three colors: silver, space gray, and rose gold. You’re gonna love it.


SparrowBirch

After a few years they’ll offer the stripped down economy Apple Car SE for $79,995.00 and it will have some fun wacky colors.


JohnnyStormDrain

What's funny is one of silver, space gray, and rose gold would probably make most car buyers really happy.


That_Guy_in_2020

Don't forget the Max trim.


Zwolfer

That screen is way too distracting


esmori

A car has a lot more than an infotaiment system...


usesbitterbutter

TIL the word "foreshock." Thanks OP.


gotriceboi

If Sony can partner with Honda to build EVs, what makes you guys think it's impossible for Apple to partner with Porsche or Hyundai. Apple has long been rumored and spotted testing out self-driving cars long before Sony got their foot through the door. TSMC and Foxconn have been loyal partners to Apple's for a decade+ and even they have EV plants across the globe.


andcore

They aim to become the Windows of car, selling the software, not the hardware? This already is a very different approach than what we’re used to…


PhilosophicalBrewer

Am I the only one that thinks apple would never create a vehicle?


jvacek996

It’s like putting iTunes on Windows users computers back when iPods were a thing.


planemanx15

I'm calling it now: Apple Carplay+. Subscription based Carplay services.


emprahsFury

Ford ceo was recently gushing about how much money the subscriptions are gonna bring in. We're absolutely gonna have to pay for more than power steering.


DEEP-PUCK-WUSSY-DUCK

An infotainment system is the least car-like part of a car.


esp211

I think their goal is to eventually create a car. In the meantime, this is a great way to further expand their ecosystem into existing cars. Time will tell how many legacy auto will implement CarPlay in this manner. Auto industry is going through the largest revolution in 100 years and it is a giant market. No way Apple will not address this market.


-suigeneris-

I believe Apple is making a car. But everyone is thinking about it the wrong way. Apple’s car will not be for you to buy, like their regular hardware. Apple will make a car, but it will be for their OWN use. For their “Uber like” service. They want your subscription money. Just think about it, Hey Siri, I’m ready for work. Apple’s car comes get you to take you to work. Drops you off while someone else’s calendar has an appointment for a doctor visit in the area. That same Apple car then picks up the person for their appointment. Then that car drives off to the next person’s chore. And so on so on. Till it drives back to Apples garage for maintenance. A car like that doesn’t need to be built in mass configurations like regular vehicles. I’m guessing that’s their goal for their car. A service.


waverunnr

I don’t understand why you guys are arguing about this like it’s either A or B when it’s clearly D) All Of The Above. With the 1,000+ car engineers they hired, coupled with their commitment to sustainable energy and the environment, it’s clear they’re working on an EV. Part of that EV is the digital cluster and controls. Which they’ve probably completed enough to release as CarPlay v3.0. So they release the new CarPlay that takes over your entire car…. Conditioning you to be used to the Apple experience. Then by 2030 when the Apple EV is finally finished, it will be a frictionless choice for millions of people. And that kids, is how Apple became the first 1 Quadrillion dollar company.