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Apple should develop an iCar!

RAPTORSKI

RAPTORSKI

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 24, 2013
160
0
British Columbia
Steve Jobs always wanted to create an iCar. With the way batteries are going in 5-10 years we could have the potential for fast charging batteries and long range zero emission vehicles. This could be a perfect opportunity for Apple to expand their product line up and become a car manufacturer challenging Tesla, GM, Ford, Honda, Toyota.

So what do you think, should Apple begin working on an iCar? If so, what should it be?

Maybe they already have began work on a project like this. I honestly don't see why Apple shouldn't. There is just so much potential, after iWatch and iTV, it's the next best thing.



apple-icar-s.jpg
 
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carlgo

macrumors 68000
Dec 29, 2006
1,806
17
Monterey CA
Check out the Tesla car company. It is very, very exciting and successful. Look into Elon Musk, who also runs SolarCity and SpaceX. He is being touted as the next Jobs and even a future Apple CEO. He is evidently open to Apple investing in his companies and a lot of people think that would be a good fit. It would be a good way for Apple to diversify.
 
cambookpro

cambookpro

macrumors 604
Feb 3, 2010
7,228
3,365
United Kingdom
Maybe we'll never see a 'hardware' car, but Apple are certainly making moves in the software department:

ios-7-ios-car-2.jpg


I think in a few years iOS may expand to being pre-installed in cars, as, IMO, what they've done in iOS 7 when connected to a car looks brilliant.
 
M

MegamanX

macrumors regular
May 13, 2013
221
0
problem I would see is Apple would try to kill the car by not having it work with new stuff like after 2-3 years and expect you to get a new one.

it would be nice but I do not think Apple would be very good at it.
 
RAPTORSKI

RAPTORSKI

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 24, 2013
160
0
British Columbia
carlgo said:
Check out the Tesla car company. It is very, very exciting and successful. Look into Elon Musk, who also runs SolarCity and SpaceX. He is being touted as the next Jobs and even a future Apple CEO. He is evidently open to Apple investing in his companies and a lot of people think that would be a good fit. It would be a good way for Apple to diversify.
Click to expand...

If Apple develops an iCar, it would be a direct competitor with Tesla. I say they could do it, when the time is right. (like 2018 - 2020)

The car industry right now lacks any serious innovation, Tesla goes a step further than most, but Apple could step in with great and innovative car/s and pose a serious threat to Tesla. This reminds me a great deal of the smartphone market before the iPhone came around and changed everything, or the tablet market.
 
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firedept

firedept

macrumors 603
Jul 8, 2011
6,278
1,130
Somewhere!
I would like to see more of Apple's technology being used by the car industry. Maybe if they tried to work closer with the car industry it could become a joint venture with a couple of them.

But would not like to see Apple making cars.
 
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carlgo

macrumors 68000
Dec 29, 2006
1,806
17
Monterey CA
Note that it took years of bad press and politics to get Apple to agree to let a third party assemble one device in the US.

Apple just doesn't like to get its hands dirty making stuff. They hire people to do it, as far away as possible from their spotless glass buildings.

Interestingly, while Apple is famous for its walled garden approach, Musk has asked others to join with Tesla and even copy it.

I think this is all too noisy and messy and open for Apple, but I could see them making a major investment, being involved in controls and communication and then slapping the Apple logo on the side.

BTW, some former Apple employee is in charge of Tesla showrooms. They are similar to Apple's in some ways and are located in upscale locations. If you are in northern Cal, visit the showroom on Santana Row. And there are hoards of hot women around the area to look at. All quite amazing really.
 
C

carlgo

macrumors 68000
Dec 29, 2006
1,806
17
Monterey CA
theSully said:
But Tesla is utterly insignificant in terms of scale.

I don't see apple getting involved in cars to compete with Tesla.
Click to expand...

Apple has a unique comfort zone and going outside that...well, they haven't yet.

I could see Apple acquiring a sat TV company or a phone carrier.
 
P

pmwc11559

macrumors newbie
Mar 13, 2007
2
0
cambookpro said:
Maybe we'll never see a 'hardware' car, but Apple are certainly making moves in the software department:

- - - -<snip>- - - -

I think in a few years iOS may expand to being pre-installed in cars, as, IMO, what they've done in iOS 7 when connected to a car looks brilliant.
Click to expand...

+1 on this.

On a related note, Volkswagen did a bit of integration of the iPhone into their recent "iBeetle" model (LINK), but didn't really take the possibilities too far.

 
G51989

G51989

macrumors 68030
Feb 25, 2012
2,530
10
NYC NY/Pittsburgh PA
RAPTORSKI said:
If Apple develops an iCar, it would be a direct competitor with Tesla. I say they could do it, when the time is right. (like 2018 - 2020)

The car industry right now lacks any serious innovation, Tesla goes a step further than most, but Apple could step in with great and innovative car/s and pose a serious threat to Tesla. This reminds me a great deal of the smartphone market before the iPhone came around and changed everything, or the tablet market.
Click to expand...


The car industry lacks innovation? Are you serious? In recent years we've seen, direct injection, new batteries, hybrid drive, crash prep sensors, CVT transmissions, better safety, cars that can accept bio fuel. Airless tires, ect ect

Cars don't move at the same rapid pace as phones do simply because a phone can be ready to go in months and requires little assembly. A car has thousands of seperate bits. And drive trains with insane tolerance, takes years to test and develop, and a phone only has to last a few years, cars have to last 10-20 years. And they have to perform in a crash, and they need to be able to stop quickly, almost everything has to be fail safe.

Nothing in a phone is really mission critical like that. And that Apple really doesn't have the resources to mass produce cars. The current huge car companies have been developing into what they are for a 100 years or so, and producing cars is REALLY costly compared to a phone and requires a much larger company

Bit of a difference
 
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sonicrobby

sonicrobby

macrumors 68020
Apr 24, 2013
2,493
552
New Orleans
G51989 said:
The car industry lacks innovation? Are you serious? In recent years we've seen, direct injection, new batteries, hybrid drive, crash prep sensors, CVT transmissions, better safety, cars that can accept bio fuel. Airless tires, ect ect

Cars don't move at the same rapid pace as phones do simply because a phone can be ready to go in months and requires little assembly. A car has thousands of seperate bits. And drive trains with insane tolerance, takes years to test and develop, and a phone only has to last a few years, cars have to last 10-20 years.

Bit of a difference
Click to expand...

Usually when people say that, they like to visually see a difference. I personally would like to see some of those concept cars become standard in the industry =P

As for an apple car. I would probably be amazed if they did this. That is because the only reason they would is to "change the way we drive" since apple pretty much gets into a market to change/become the new standard. It would kind of be a bittersweet situation though since the base model would probably go for $75,000
 
Shrink

Shrink

macrumors G3
Feb 26, 2011
8,929
1,727
New England, USA
Not that Apple isn't awesome, magical, amazing, and incredible...but what do they know about cars?

Apple makes, IMO, all these nifty electronic devices, but...ah...how to say this - cars are different!;)
 
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maxosx

macrumors 68020
Dec 13, 2012
2,385
1
Southern California
carlgo said:
Check out the Tesla car company. It is very, very exciting and successful.
Click to expand...

The true story of Tesla is well concealed. Massively successful at repeatedly sucking huge quantities of cash from the government, they've got more liquid cash than any other car company, save for the biggies. O loves them dearly.
 
tech4all

tech4all

macrumors 68040
Jun 13, 2004
3,399
489
NorCal
I could see it now:

- You'd have to use Apple's own gas and use a special fuel nozzle since the mainstream type aren't 'good enough.' (iDevice connector)
- All parts would be welded in and non user serviceable (Apple sealing Macs; you can't even upgrade RAM later on)
- There would be some 'gate' issue with the iCar, maybe the tires not keeping traction...TireGate
- It would be available in a regular size and a mini size (iPad and iPad mini)
- It would cost more than what you get, when other similar cars get you more for less (iPad mini compared to the Nexus line)
- Pay the Apple-tax because it has the :apple: on it
- It would be powered by Apple Maps, cause mis navigation and car crashes, and auto insurance would go up nation wide :eek: ;)
- Phil Schiller announces the next iCar and says "Apple can't innovate my a$$!" and says they've made the iCar a little longer and has the perfect turning radius.

:D
 
G51989

G51989

macrumors 68030
Feb 25, 2012
2,530
10
NYC NY/Pittsburgh PA
A Hebrew said:
140 billion dollars = resources.
Click to expand...

They don't have 140 billion in straight usable cash to dump into something like a car company.

And it would take WAY more than 140 billion to build a car company from the ground up, up to the level of Ford or General Motors or VW, or Toyota. Those companies have been developing and building for over 100 years in some cases. And have decades of experience. An average full scale car plant park costs in excess of 30 billion from ground breaking to having a couple plants up and running. How in the hell could they pay for the couple dozen they would need to be a major player, they would also need to hire well over 100,000 workers to build the cars to be a huge player, build proving grounds, and start from the group up with everything ( you really think Ford or VW is going to give Apple access to their tech? )

And Apple can't even launch a phone without it having defects, how in the hell would they launch a car? Which is about 1000 times harder to assemble.
 
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