This sounds like a bunch of BS to me. It doesn't make any sense whatsoever. If anything, these vans seem like Apple's answer to Google Street View and little else.
Besides, the minivan market is one of the worst segments to enter. It has been shrinking for years as people gravitate towards compact and midsize crossover vehicles.
Tim Cook is a big environmentalist. The fact that they just spent $848 million on a solar farm, makes it more believable to me that they could be trying to make an electric car.
Tim Cook is a big environmentalist. The fact that they just spent $848 million on a solar farm, makes it more believable to me that they could be trying to make an electric car.
GM and Ford have been making cars for more than a hundred years, as have many other companies. It is, frankly, quite silly to think that Apple could just jump into such a competitive and complex business and achieve greater efficiencies than companies that have been refining their design and manufacturing processes for decades.
Well how did the Japanese best American know-how? How did Koreans compete in the US? How is it Tesla has a great product today?
I don't buy that. So what the vehicle will only be targeted to soccer moms?
This covers it.
The story is bogus-- some tiny kernel of truth wrapped in wild speculation.
The funniest thing is reading all the excited moronic posts of people who think Apples going to release minivan--speculating on margins, product strategy, and so on. The hopeful ignorance of thoughtless Apple exuberance springs eternal.
GM and Ford have been making cars for more than a hundred years, as have many other companies. It is, frankly, quite silly to think that Apple could just jump into such a competitive and complex business and achieve greater efficiencies than companies that have been refining their design and manufacturing processes for decades.
Go ask Nokia & Blackberry how well it went for them?
Wait, what?! They tearing down a forest to put up this solar farm?
I go to Monterey often. It's beautiful land. The solar farm is somewhere outside of Monterey, most likely where it won't be seen by the general public, but essentially clearing out whatever is there to put up hundreds of acres of solar panels is terrible. I flat-out hate the idea. Sure, we're not burning coal, or natural gas to power whatever datacenters Apple wants to run, we're consuming one valuable resource to offset another.
I'll be flamed for it, but we need better energy infrastructure instead of these giant solar farms and wind farms, and whatever else. We in America just happen to be fortunate to have a lot of available land, but I don't thing projects like these would be so easily done in smaller countries in Europe.
Bring in modern nuclear energy. I'm a firm believer in it. I have discussions with friends that were nuclear engineers aboard Navy submarines. The tech is there, but the political nonsense is inhibiting us from it.
The solar farm is somewhere outside of Monterey, most likely where it won't be seen by the general public, but essentially clearing out whatever is there to put up hundreds of acres of solar panels is terrible.
And why must that be a forest?
I flat-out hate the idea. […] Bring in modern nuclear energy. I'm a firm believer in it. I have discussions with friends that were nuclear engineers aboard Navy submarines. The tech is there, but the political nonsense is inhibiting us from it.
So you want Apple to build a nuclear power plant instead of creating effective solutions today for their current needs? :???:
Might be a deliberate diversion story for increased R&D into robotics? I could see Apple getting into robotics for sure, I feel it's almost inevitable.
Or perhaps, thinking about it, maybe an Apple car is a good stepping stone into robotics. By the time this thing comes out, you can guarantee it will be driving itself for sure, and won't have a steering wheel, which kinda makes it a robot I guess.
Interesting times. Apple have to diversify, there's only so many iDevices you can make. A car would be a shocker, but it's not the first time Apple have shocked.
And for the jerk talking about how 'crap' Apple's mapping is, you will be amazed at what a ton of money, talent and time can do (because lets face it, this iCar isn't coming out for at least 5 years). What Apple has done with it's mapping service in a the short space of time is truly amazing, and in 5 years you can can pretty much guarantee it will be the best mapping service on the planet, if it isn't already in many respects.
Well that's what happened in NC. I can't imagine that those 1,300 acres are already free of trees. Apple had environmental impact studies done and of course they say "no major loss", but obviously others say " no, there's protected marshland, wooded areas, wildlife etc. I love the idea of solar myself but when you look at the cost of implementation (including mining, manufacturing, shipping, direct environmental impact etc) I'm not so sure it's all that much better than than nuclear at least until we perfect something else like hydrogen. Is there any evidence that solar will have really "long teeth"? I mean we aren't taking about tech that can be replaced every couple of years. Our energy needs have to be met by technology that will carry us into into the next century. I'm not sure solar is that. I think it will be something else. It seems Apple is being a little shortsighted, but maybe I shouldn't be surprised given they come from a world where everything is upgraded every year. I'm a little concerned that the only company I could give a shot about has lost some part of themselves up their own butts. It's the sort of delusion that is typical of the wealthy and privileged who have lost connection to reality. Every idea is NOT a good idea simply because the popular kid said so and all of their friends agree. I think this is a case of Others patting Apple on the back for the wrong thing and Apple has actually started to believe it.
I'm also wondering what apples "upgrade program" will look like for these farms. Average serviceable lifespan of a solar cell is 20 years. If another/ better tech comes along will they still use solar and just replace the cells? If the cells of the future are somehow significantly better, does that mean Apple will just produce more energy with the same area or will they reduce the footprint and return the forest to it's "natural" state?
Here's an interesting excerpt from a Local paper in NC.
"Residents who live on Millie Lane, which sits next to Apple’s property, said they were told about the burning the day it was to begin.
“They told us they would have a fire, and only do it when the wind’s blowing away,” said Zelda Vosburgh. “They do it 24 hours a day. The house inside smells like smoke. I don’t know if it’s hurting us, breathing it 24 hours a day. Between the smell and the smoke, it’s bad.
It’s pushed the wildlife out of the woods into the my yard."
Comments
This sounds like a bunch of BS to me. It doesn't make any sense whatsoever. If anything, these vans seem like Apple's answer to Google Street View and little else.
Besides, the minivan market is one of the worst segments to enter. It has been shrinking for years as people gravitate towards compact and midsize crossover vehicles.
Tim Cook is a big environmentalist. The fact that they just spent $848 million on a solar farm, makes it more believable to me that they could be trying to make an electric car.
Many of Apple's competitors have worse margins than GM or Ford.
Many of Apple's competitors have worse margins than GM or Ford.
... but are they making money?
Edited your comment.
Why? Tesla has profit margins around 5%.
Wait, what?! They tearing down a forest to put up this solar farm?
Well how did the Japanese best American know-how? How did Koreans compete in the US? How is it Tesla has a great product today?
The story is bogus-- some tiny kernel of truth wrapped in wild speculation.
The funniest thing is reading all the excited moronic posts of people who think Apples going to release minivan--speculating on margins, product strategy, and so on. The hopeful ignorance of thoughtless Apple exuberance springs eternal.
GM and Ford have been making cars for more than a hundred years, as have many other companies. It is, frankly, quite silly to think that Apple could just jump into such a competitive and complex business and achieve greater efficiencies than companies that have been refining their design and manufacturing processes for decades.
Go ask Nokia & Blackberry how well it went for them?
Wow. With this and Apple Pay and big phones and record profits...will people forget Steve Jobs?
This is pretty amazing what they are doing. And the government is on board with Apple Pay? Nuts. Really nuts.
Who would have thought.
I was skeptical, but not feel Apple will rule the universe.
Maybe they can do a buyout of MS to save that company in a few years, LOL.
Wait, what?! They tearing down a forest to put up this solar farm?
I go to Monterey often. It's beautiful land. The solar farm is somewhere outside of Monterey, most likely where it won't be seen by the general public, but essentially clearing out whatever is there to put up hundreds of acres of solar panels is terrible. I flat-out hate the idea. Sure, we're not burning coal, or natural gas to power whatever datacenters Apple wants to run, we're consuming one valuable resource to offset another.
I'll be flamed for it, but we need better energy infrastructure instead of these giant solar farms and wind farms, and whatever else. We in America just happen to be fortunate to have a lot of available land, but I don't thing projects like these would be so easily done in smaller countries in Europe.
Bring in modern nuclear energy. I'm a firm believer in it. I have discussions with friends that were nuclear engineers aboard Navy submarines. The tech is there, but the political nonsense is inhibiting us from it.
Wait, what?! They tearing down a forest to put up this solar farm?
Trees don't do anything. They just make dark, unsafe places for animals. Animals get scared there.
And why must that be a forest?
So you want Apple to build a nuclear power plant instead of creating effective solutions today for their current needs? :???:
Might be a deliberate diversion story for increased R&D into robotics? I could see Apple getting into robotics for sure, I feel it's almost inevitable.
Or perhaps, thinking about it, maybe an Apple car is a good stepping stone into robotics. By the time this thing comes out, you can guarantee it will be driving itself for sure, and won't have a steering wheel, which kinda makes it a robot I guess.
Interesting times. Apple have to diversify, there's only so many iDevices you can make. A car would be a shocker, but it's not the first time Apple have shocked.
And for the jerk talking about how 'crap' Apple's mapping is, you will be amazed at what a ton of money, talent and time can do (because lets face it, this iCar isn't coming out for at least 5 years). What Apple has done with it's mapping service in a the short space of time is truly amazing, and in 5 years you can can pretty much guarantee it will be the best mapping service on the planet, if it isn't already in many respects.
I'm also wondering what apples "upgrade program" will look like for these farms. Average serviceable lifespan of a solar cell is 20 years. If another/ better tech comes along will they still use solar and just replace the cells? If the cells of the future are somehow significantly better, does that mean Apple will just produce more energy with the same area or will they reduce the footprint and return the forest to it's "natural" state?
Here's an interesting excerpt from a Local paper in NC.
"Residents who live on Millie Lane, which sits next to Apple’s property, said they were told about the burning the day it was to begin.
“They told us they would have a fire, and only do it when the wind’s blowing away,” said Zelda Vosburgh. “They do it 24 hours a day. The house inside smells like smoke. I don’t know if it’s hurting us, breathing it 24 hours a day. Between the smell and the smoke, it’s bad.
It’s pushed the wildlife out of the woods into the my yard."
Not completely free of trees ? a forest.
1,300 deforested acres. Very environmental indeed.
Putting solar panels on the roof of the building concerned is probably preferable.