There are forward facing seats in planes, trains, subways, automobiles, mass transit buses, tour buses, Disney rides, rollercoasters, etc. (and also some that are not). I see this as potentially a way to change audio experiences, imagine going to an amusement park where they play your favorite music…and also target you more specifically with ads. This does not have to be a car. Could be, but apple wouldn’t limit themselves from making money, thus the broader language of enclosed space. Just my 2 cents.
I’m with DarkVader on this one. Apple might be building as many as ONE car, for demo purposes.
There is absolutely ZERO chance Apple is going to, or even could, mass produce cars on its own. You can’t hide a vehicle manufacturing plant no matter how hard you try, and even if you could you would have had to start building it at least 15 years ago.
There’s basically two options, in order of likelihood IMO:
1. Apple is building exactly what they showed us last year: a next-gen CarPlay that controls the interior experience even more than before, and will license this technology to car companies that are interested in a superior driving experience, because they know that sells cars. GM and Tesla have SO screwed themselves.
2, Very similar to the above, but add on a dedicated — maybe even exclusive — manufacturing partner like BMW and also use Apple Technology to incorporate more sensors, FaceID, Find My, and other technology to enhance BOTH the interior experience and some of the actual mechanical experience as well in a true partner collaboration
Either way, it won’t be cheap!
You do realize that Apple's manufacturing partner, Foxconn, owns (at least partially) the former GM plant (last built the Chevy Cruze) in Lordstown, OH. Foxconn was to partner with Lordstown Motors to build the Endurance EV pickup, but Lordstown Motors filed Chapter 11 last month. Just saying that there is manufacturing bandwidth out there that Apple could easily tap in to.
Yup. My supposition is Apple is waiting on Foxconn to have a more mature car manufacturing business before entering the market. Also, a mature car battery supplier. They obviously have been trying to get deals with mature car companies, like Hyundai, but there is obvious conflicts of interest there.
If they were going go have their own manufacturing plants, they would have announced 3 years ago, or ASAP, as you can't hide that. So, they await for a 3rd party manufacturer who would work them. Foxconn is an obvious candidate.
As for sound systems in a car. Minor feature imo. Nice to have it, but it doesn't sell a car. Figuring out what features will get people to switch and buy from a new car manufacturer is one of those 100 year ideas. Perhaps the window is past them. Tough market. Service is number 1 in my book. I'd love a solar PV EV with V2G. That may be to niche, but personally, I'm holding out for that.
I’m with DarkVader on this one. Apple might be building as many as ONE car, for demo purposes.
There is absolutely ZERO chance Apple is going to, or even could, mass produce cars on its own. You can’t hide a vehicle manufacturing plant no matter how hard you try, and even if you could you would have had to start building it at least 15 years ago.
There’s basically two options, in order of likelihood IMO:
1. Apple is building exactly what they showed us last year: a next-gen CarPlay that controls the interior experience even more than before, and will license this technology to car companies that are interested in a superior driving experience, because they know that sells cars. GM and Tesla have SO screwed themselves.
2, Very similar to the above, but add on a dedicated — maybe even exclusive — manufacturing partner like BMW and also use Apple Technology to incorporate more sensors, FaceID, Find My, and other technology to enhance BOTH the interior experience and some of the actual mechanical experience as well in a true partner collaboration
Either way, it won’t be cheap!
I think CarPlay COULD be a question mark going forward about five years. First, the lack of CarPlay compatibility hasn't hurt Tesla, But hey, Tesla is a special case for several reasons, so not the best example. The real threat to CarPlay is the GM/Google initiative, not because it will be "better" than CarPlay, but it may be sufficiently attractive to convince other auto manufacturers to jump ship--all we know so far is that it was sufficiently attractive to get GM to end CarPlay compatibility, which is no small thing. What Google has dangled before GM is a three-prong proposition: first, we know how to create a good user interface and you don't. The UIs for infotainment systems designed by car manufacturers have been notoriously awful. Second, we are the kings of monetizing consumer data and the endless consumer choices made while driving can provide a treasure trove of monetizeable data about the driver and passengers. So instead of just paying Apple a license fee, our system provides a constant revenue stream from consumer data that you will own and exploit. And third, we will build a two-tiered infotainment system--the first tier of essential features will be "free" to the owner--once they've agreed to a EULA that makes you the de facto owner of their data, of course--but a second tier of compelling and desirable additional features will be available only by annual subscription. This will provide an additional stream of constant revenue from the infotainment system. Will consumers balk and refuse to buy GM cars over this? We shall see, but I doubt it--everyone knows Google is the Satan of consumer privacy abuse, but people keep using Google apps because they're "free." And if other auto manufacturers sense that "Thar's gold in them there hills" when it comes to monetizing consumer data via infotainment systems, GM won't be the last company to abandon CarPlay compatibility.
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If they were going go have their own manufacturing plants, they would have announced 3 years ago, or ASAP, as you can't hide that. So, they await for a 3rd party manufacturer who would work them. Foxconn is an obvious candidate.
As for sound systems in a car. Minor feature imo. Nice to have it, but it doesn't sell a car. Figuring out what features will get people to switch and buy from a new car manufacturer is one of those 100 year ideas. Perhaps the window is past them. Tough market. Service is number 1 in my book. I'd love a solar PV EV with V2G. That may be to niche, but personally, I'm holding out for that.