I am still not convinced. Most of the hires I read about have to do with hybrid/electric powertrain, battery technology, and research as well as quality. That doesn't make a car yet.
Apple could be working on a subsystem, maybe an electric Powertrain with significant enhancements in order to create a step change in extending battery range.
Already systems exist that take GPS and map data as well as driving conditions to increase the battery range by adjusting driving parameters. Apple might take this one step further with tight integration of the apple ecosystem and services.
So why would they be doing all of this if not to build a car? I'm not aware of any existing auto companies that don't have expertise in this area.
Why is it fake? Tesla cars have cooling systems as well, that need radiators to dissipate heat. The most obvious location for any radiators are in the front of the vehicle.
I had hopes that there was such an explanation, but it turns out to be a tinted blank of what looks to be grey Lexan, with no vents. The lower intakes seem to serve for all the needed the cooling air.
Maybe there was a design change after the sheet metal dies were already made, or maybe they have plans for that gaping mouth. They are carrying it forward to the next model, it looks like. Baffling.
But we can see why Jony and Marc may think they can do better.
Edit: yoyo2222 adds the sensor factor above. I did not know that, but could they possibly need that much space? And grilles are stupid, always have been. Porsche proved that with the most sensuous front ends ever on their 356 models.
IIRC Google was roundly criticised here for even considering self-driving cars. Note that it's not being seen as silly for Apple to do so.
Google hasn't had a great history of delivering hardware of high quality. That might be changing, but I remain skeptical. That doesn't mean that I see Apple as having an easy time with an AV either, but I would expect to see an EV from Apple earlier than I would from Google, based on Apple's supply chain and manufacturing experience. Google might intend to go directly to an AV, but I believe that, like Tesla, an EV first is the way forward.
IIRC Google was roundly criticised here for even considering self-driving cars. Note that it's not being seen as silly for Apple to do so.
I don't think you know this but Goog and Apple are WAY different. Goog is a spy company who reports to marketers and corporations. They have a ton of vaporware and bad approaches to ideas. It's no wonder people critisized this Creepy Corp.
Now when Apple is up to something it WORKS. It's exciting, it's innovative, it's well-thought out. You gotta be crazy(or a Glass fan) if you expect people to react similarly when Goog is working on something.
I on the other hand don't care about their projects because they're never successful unless they copy Apple.
Of course it's happening. Apple sells products not pieces of technology for other people's products. And why is it that Google is lauded for all these "moon shots" and doing all these different things yet when Apple even slightly veers from making computers or computer software panic sets in? Yet at the same time everyone is worried that Apple is a one trick pony and are constantly complaining about the lack of innovation from Cupertino.
IIRC Google was roundly criticised here for even considering self-driving cars. Note that it's not being seen as silly for Apple to do so.
Not at all. Stop being so sensitive.
A number of us here -- including me -- criticize Google for sticking four wheels on to a butt ugly version of an egg. No taste whatsoever.
Oh another car related Apple hire within the last year is Ted Sweet who previously worked at Mission Motors, a supplier of electric vehicle components. He also interned at Tesla. His title is mechanical design engineer.
Why is it fake? Tesla cars have cooling systems as well, that need radiators to dissipate heat. The most obvious location for any radiators are in the front of the vehicle.
I had hopes that there was such an explanation, but it turns out to be a tinted blank of what looks to be grey Lexan, with no vents. The lower intakes seem to serve for all the needed the cooling air.
Maybe there was a design change after the sheet metal dies were already made, or maybe they have plans for that gaping mouth. They are carrying it forward to the next model, it looks like. Baffling.
But we can see why Jony and Marc may think they can do better.
Edit: yoyo2222 adds the sensor factor above. I did not know that, but could they possibly need that much space? And grilles are stupid, always have been. Porsche proved that with the most sensuous front ends ever on their 356 models.
Early autos had no need for fake grills, Why start with the fake sh*t now?!
Of course it's happening. Apple sells products not pieces of technology for other people's products. And why is it that Google is lauded for all these "moon shots" and doing all these different things yet when Apple even slightly veers from making computers or computer software panic sets in? Yet at the same time everyone is worried that Apple is a one trick pony and are constantly complaining about the lack of innovation from Cupertino.
Samsung has been working on transportation products for years. See below for an early model undergoing environmental testing.
So why would they be doing all of this if not to build a car? I'm not aware of any existing auto companies that don't have expertise in this area.
Well no one really knows 100% but according to this article, it may be related to an Advanced Driver Assistance System that can be used by other auto brands;
So why would they be doing all of this if not to build a car? I'm not aware of any existing auto companies that don't have expertise in this area.
Actually, the expertise often resides within the Tier1 and Tier2 suppliers.
Car OEM are mostly assembling subsystems they buy off their suppliers: I need a break system of that size that does this and that. I need a number unit with xenons lights looking like this and radar sensors integrated fulfilling this protocol. etc.
Actually only a few, e.g. BMW, are still into engineering their own engines.
Often, they even try to not depend on just one supplier by splitting a whole subsystem, e.g. of assistance systems, to different suppliers while the suppliers would love to provide the whole system out of the box, because of the deeper integration this would offer.
I can envision is for Apple to go exactly this route, in a way that makes this turnkey solution much more attractive for car OEMs.
The automotive industry lags behind what connectivity is concerned. They have an onboard voltage level to support and then there is CAN-Bus. Solutions that start to scratch the surface using internet e.g. are not safe, as recent examples have shown where you basically can turn your corvette into an RC toy :-)
Another massive field of research is battery tech.
Now these are fields where Apple already had a lot of expertise prior to hiring all these people from automotive. I could clearly see this team using the available tech and bring it to automotive level (which has much higher requirements).
Also, if it were a plug-and-play system ANY OEM could use it, and therefore you'd sell it to way more customers. A full-blown car would have a much smaller customer base.
And let's not forget the recent statements from Daimler and BMW clearly indicating large interest for cooperation with Apple.
Well no one really knows 100% but according to this article, it may be related to an Advanced Driver Assistance System that can be used by other auto brands;
But then again, you may be right. Apple could be building an actual car.
I agree. ADAS and their user interfaces always look years behind compared to what Apple does, e.g. One reason is the core competency of the engineers is more on hardware side, rather than the UI (just look at how long it took to start integrating touchscreen and fully digital dashboards into cars), and secondly, as I stated before, because they are coming from various suppliers making it harder to generate a homogenous look and feel.
I'm I the only one who thinks the Tesla fake grille is really ugly?
Nope.
Cooling requirements being less for electric vehicles to a large extent, it's ugly and redundant.
Perhaps they think it looks more aggressive. Butch even?
Didn't anyone stop to think that there is still a valid reason for a grill (nee, an opening in front)? Large batteries need to be cooled as do motors. Is the possibility of a hybrid out of the question (either the gas powered generator or gas driven powertrain that can supplement the electrics)? There is also a need for a HVAC system which generally uses fresh filtered air passed thru a heat exchanger to get hot or cold air -- I know I don't want to have to rely on 4/80 AC and electric seat warmers and/or strip heaters to warm up (i.e., electric heaters are really inefficient).
I realize that the comments started out about the Tesla but the (vapor) iCar stuck its head up really quick -- IMHO this is still very much a research project that may become a product. Apple will do its due diligence and in 5+ years may release a product. I'd love it!
Comments
So why would they be doing all of this if not to build a car? I'm not aware of any existing auto companies that don't have expertise in this area.
No. Fake (non-functional) grilles are stupid. (Edit) They're like fake wheel covers.
It's not a fake grill. It's a plastic cover for various sensors hidden behind.
But, people are used to cars looking a certain way. Do you remember how weird the original Infiniti looked without one? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1st-Infiniti-Q45.jpg ;
You can get it painted out but it looks too much like an angry Hello Kitty to me. http://insideevs.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/model-s-wrap.jpg
I had hopes that there was such an explanation, but it turns out to be a tinted blank of what looks to be grey Lexan, with no vents. The lower intakes seem to serve for all the needed the cooling air.
Maybe there was a design change after the sheet metal dies were already made, or maybe they have plans for that gaping mouth. They are carrying it forward to the next model, it looks like. Baffling.
But we can see why Jony and Marc may think they can do better.
Edit: yoyo2222 adds the sensor factor above. I did not know that, but could they possibly need that much space? And grilles are stupid, always have been. Porsche proved that with the most sensuous front ends ever on their 356 models.
IIRC Google was roundly criticised here for even considering self-driving cars. Note that it's not being seen as silly for Apple to do so.
Google hasn't had a great history of delivering hardware of high quality. That might be changing, but I remain skeptical. That doesn't mean that I see Apple as having an easy time with an AV either, but I would expect to see an EV from Apple earlier than I would from Google, based on Apple's supply chain and manufacturing experience. Google might intend to go directly to an AV, but I believe that, like Tesla, an EV first is the way forward.
IIRC Google was roundly criticised here for even considering self-driving cars. Note that it's not being seen as silly for Apple to do so.
It's silly for Google.
IIRC Google was roundly criticised here for even considering self-driving cars. Note that it's not being seen as silly for Apple to do so.
I don't think you know this but Goog and Apple are WAY different. Goog is a spy company who reports to marketers and corporations. They have a ton of vaporware and bad approaches to ideas. It's no wonder people critisized this Creepy Corp.Now when Apple is up to something it WORKS. It's exciting, it's innovative, it's well-thought out. You gotta be crazy(or a Glass fan) if you expect people to react similarly when Goog is working on something.
I on the other hand don't care about their projects because they're never successful unless they copy Apple.
I think these recent hires should put to rest any lingering doubts about Apple's intentions.
They could be working on the fabled Apple television set.
Or smart bands for ?Watch.
I'm I the only one who thinks the Tesla fake grille is really ugly?
I also think the Tesla grill is ugly.
I see them quite often nowadays but I have never driven one.
If you don't know what they are, (some people don't) then they don't look anything special on the road.
The BMW i3 however does look special and I have driven one and it does drive like a BMW although the tires are skinny.
If Apple & BMW could produce an electric autonomous X3, I would pre-order right now at any cost.
Not at all. Stop being so sensitive.
A number of us here -- including me -- criticize Google for sticking four wheels on to a butt ugly version of an egg. No taste whatsoever.
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/ted-sweet/4/b58/32b
Why is it fake? Tesla cars have cooling systems as well, that need radiators to dissipate heat. The most obvious location for any radiators are in the front of the vehicle.
I had hopes that there was such an explanation, but it turns out to be a tinted blank of what looks to be grey Lexan, with no vents. The lower intakes seem to serve for all the needed the cooling air.
Maybe there was a design change after the sheet metal dies were already made, or maybe they have plans for that gaping mouth. They are carrying it forward to the next model, it looks like. Baffling.
But we can see why Jony and Marc may think they can do better.
Edit: yoyo2222 adds the sensor factor above. I did not know that, but could they possibly need that much space? And grilles are stupid, always have been. Porsche proved that with the most sensuous front ends ever on their 356 models.
Early autos had no need for fake grills, Why start with the fake sh*t now?!
Of course it's happening. Apple sells products not pieces of technology for other people's products. And why is it that Google is lauded for all these "moon shots" and doing all these different things yet when Apple even slightly veers from making computers or computer software panic sets in? Yet at the same time everyone is worried that Apple is a one trick pony and are constantly complaining about the lack of innovation from Cupertino.
Samsung has been working on transportation products for years. See below for an early model undergoing environmental testing.
So why would they be doing all of this if not to build a car? I'm not aware of any existing auto companies that don't have expertise in this area.
Well no one really knows 100% but according to this article, it may be related to an Advanced Driver Assistance System that can be used by other auto brands;
http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2015/08/proof-is-mounting-that-apples-project-titan-is-about-the-development-of-an-advanced-driver-assistance-system.html
But then again, you may be right. Apple could be building an actual car.
So why would they be doing all of this if not to build a car? I'm not aware of any existing auto companies that don't have expertise in this area.
Actually, the expertise often resides within the Tier1 and Tier2 suppliers.
Car OEM are mostly assembling subsystems they buy off their suppliers: I need a break system of that size that does this and that. I need a number unit with xenons lights looking like this and radar sensors integrated fulfilling this protocol. etc.
Actually only a few, e.g. BMW, are still into engineering their own engines.
Often, they even try to not depend on just one supplier by splitting a whole subsystem, e.g. of assistance systems, to different suppliers while the suppliers would love to provide the whole system out of the box, because of the deeper integration this would offer.
I can envision is for Apple to go exactly this route, in a way that makes this turnkey solution much more attractive for car OEMs.
The automotive industry lags behind what connectivity is concerned. They have an onboard voltage level to support and then there is CAN-Bus. Solutions that start to scratch the surface using internet e.g. are not safe, as recent examples have shown where you basically can turn your corvette into an RC toy :-)
Another massive field of research is battery tech.
Now these are fields where Apple already had a lot of expertise prior to hiring all these people from automotive. I could clearly see this team using the available tech and bring it to automotive level (which has much higher requirements).
Also, if it were a plug-and-play system ANY OEM could use it, and therefore you'd sell it to way more customers. A full-blown car would have a much smaller customer base.
And let's not forget the recent statements from Daimler and BMW clearly indicating large interest for cooperation with Apple.
Well no one really knows 100% but according to this article, it may be related to an Advanced Driver Assistance System that can be used by other auto brands;
http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2015/08/proof-is-mounting-that-apples-project-titan-is-about-the-development-of-an-advanced-driver-assistance-system.html
But then again, you may be right. Apple could be building an actual car.
I agree. ADAS and their user interfaces always look years behind compared to what Apple does, e.g. One reason is the core competency of the engineers is more on hardware side, rather than the UI (just look at how long it took to start integrating touchscreen and fully digital dashboards into cars), and secondly, as I stated before, because they are coming from various suppliers making it harder to generate a homogenous look and feel.
Early autos had no need for fake grills, Why start with the fake sh*t now?!
Don't mention the pathetic fake noise on hybrids/electric cars.
VROOOOAAAAR ! ! ! !
Nope.
Cooling requirements being less for electric vehicles to a large extent, it's ugly and redundant.
Perhaps they think it looks more aggressive. Butch even?
...fake grille is really ugly...
...Fake (non-functional) grilles are stupid...
Didn't anyone stop to think that there is still a valid reason for a grill (nee, an opening in front)? Large batteries need to be cooled as do motors. Is the possibility of a hybrid out of the question (either the gas powered generator or gas driven powertrain that can supplement the electrics)? There is also a need for a HVAC system which generally uses fresh filtered air passed thru a heat exchanger to get hot or cold air -- I know I don't want to have to rely on 4/80 AC
I realize that the comments started out about the Tesla but the (vapor) iCar stuck its head up really quick -- IMHO this is still very much a research project that may become a product. Apple will do its due diligence and in 5+ years may release a product. I'd love it!