jackansi said: Many times if they did make a car like the concept, even if people loved it, a critical mass of people wouldn't buy it because they can't afford it (or "I'll wait till I find a good used one").
Most concept cars are totally impractical. Low slung, radical curves and angles, terrible visibility, no storage space. They are more works of art than an automobile that anyone would actually drive. Although this concept of an Apple car departs from the normal racy designs, it is very ugly.
Besides ugly, it would never pass a crash test with the windshield as the first point of impact and the occupants' feet within inches of the nose of the vehicle. Same issue in a rear collision. Among other fails, those enormous gull wing doors would compromise rigidity in the body/chassis. Rigidity is crucial if you are going to mount lots of heavy lithium batteries to the undercarriage. The last thing you would want in battery storage compartment is flexibility that could cause fire/explosion hazard. I imagine the area behind the rear seats would be taken up by the drivetrain components so there is nowhere to stow even one piece of carry-on luggage. Lastly It would require headlights and turn signals and probably real mirrors, not video cameras. Just an awful design by people who have no clue about automotive engineering.
I wish auto manufacturers would start pushing diesel more than hybrids. In most cases, diesel is actually more environmentally friendly than hybrids.
Diesel powered cars are noisey then gasoline and servicing is harder to find and cost more? Even dealership sometime sent the customer's vehicle to a "specialists" that works on Diesel engines only!
That gold colored/plated design is not a bad idea at all. A real gold is being used in all electronic devices and maybe in future we will see use of it not only on the outside but also on the inside of that cute tech box on wheels. Of course, doing that on a large scale would imply buying out a gold mine in order to be able not only to produce mass market car, but customized versions as well. Versatility is most welcome.
I wish auto manufacturers would start pushing diesel more than hybrids. In most cases, diesel is actually more environmentally friendly than hybrids.
Because of the historically high oil price and stupid CO2 taxes, diesels have been very popular here in Ireland and in Europe in general. This idea of 'environmentally friendly' is really twisted. Diesels spew out noxious filth that is hazardous to human health. A Japanese scientist discovered a compound in diesel exhaust that proved to be the most potent carcinogen ever found. The particulates diesels emit are hazardous to human lungs and also cause cancers according to the WHO. A study in the UK concluded that 9,500 people a year in London die each year from the deleterious nature of diesel emissions. From the occasions when I have been London, me most lasting opinion and memory is that the place reeks, due to diesel emissions. The Mayor of Paris has the right idea and has called for a ban on diesels from the city. Smart lady.
At least one study has suggested the soot spewed out by diesels may have a greater greenhouse warming effect than the supposed benefit from their lower emission of CO2.
If you count humans and their health as part of the environment then I think it has become pretty obvious that diesels are an environmental hazard, not a benefit. Electric cars powered by electricity generated from fossil fuels don't save an appreciable amount of CO2 over petrol engine driven cars, and none at all over diesels.
One thing governments could do is tax companies on the basis of employee commuting and so give them a motive to sponsor more working from home. I'm not talking about seriously punitive taxes, just high enough to give them a nudge.
User experience extends beyond driving to include why you take a trip – grocery shopping, sight seeing, taking kids to/from school, carpooling, going home – and who is with you. Fretting about the color of a screen is pretty myopic. An Apple car would likely be able to give you a view of your garage space, home, and access points before you arrive, for example, leveraging your Apple TV and webcams. When you arrive, it could open the garage door. It should be able to keep cold food cold, hot food hot, using the car's HVAC systems intelligently. It could act as a docent on vacation trips, narrating the drive as well as handling the driving if the locale is compatible. It could present you with multiple restaurant choices with wait times and handle reserving parking as well as the seats, even pre-ordering drinks and appetizers when you're close enough.
Along with the Apple car would come the ecosystem of alliances, services, apps, and standards that extend into the businesses and government agencies and services of the community. A restaurant district could make its roads, parking, and businesses all compatible with 'Apple Drive', an Apple Pay-like system and spec that sets out the requirements to integrate with and accommodate the Apple Car customer.
Apple need not build cars from scratch. There could be Apple editions of certain cars that carry Apple hardware and meet functional and security criteria. In fact, Apple should not only build its own cars. There should also be Apple Car editions of the BMW i3, Kia Sportage, Chevy Cruze, and so on.
jackansi said: Many times if they did make a car like the concept, even if people loved it, a critical mass of people wouldn't buy it because they can't afford it (or "I'll wait till I find a good used one").
Most concept cars are totally impractical. Low slung, radical curves and angles, terrible visibility, no storage space. They are more works of art than an automobile that anyone would actually drive. Although this concept of an Apple car departs from the normal racy designs, it is very ugly.
Besides ugly, it would never pass a crash test with the windshield as the first point of impact and the occupants' feet within inches of the nose of the vehicle. Same issue in a rear collision. Among other fails, those enormous gull wing doors would compromise rigidity in the body/chassis. Rigidity is crucial if you are going to mount lots of heavy lithium batteries to the undercarriage. The last thing you would want in battery storage compartment is flexibility that could cause fire/explosion hazard. I imagine the area behind the rear seats would be taken up by the drivetrain components so there is nowhere to stow even one piece of carry-on luggage. Lastly It would require headlights and turn signals and probably real mirrors, not video cameras. Just an awful design by people who have no clue about automotive engineering.
Wasn't talking mainly about the Fugly rendering... The reference was more toward actual car makers that put out a stunning concept and then followed it as best as practical with a real car. That real car then didn't sell in the showrooms as well as the pundits who called the car many wonderful adjectives (or the makers) thought it would.
Despite a car being good looking, it also has to be affordable if you want to stay in business.
Personally, I don't think the people who can eventually afford an Apple car are going to buy one anyway. If it's anything like their PC business, you'll be paying Cadillac prices for a machine equipped like a Chevy... Most people who buy new cars are a little more aware of what they are getting for the money, IME.
If it's all electric, you'll also have to buy the spare battery trailer to make it to work and back on a long commute...
Comments
(hint: its the silver background car in the top right, not the foreground Ford Probe)
Besides ugly, it would never pass a crash test with the windshield as the first point of impact and the occupants' feet within inches of the nose of the vehicle. Same issue in a rear collision. Among other fails, those enormous gull wing doors would compromise rigidity in the body/chassis. Rigidity is crucial if you are going to mount lots of heavy lithium batteries to the undercarriage. The last thing you would want in battery storage compartment is flexibility that could cause fire/explosion hazard. I imagine the area behind the rear seats would be taken up by the drivetrain components so there is nowhere to stow even one piece of carry-on luggage. Lastly It would require headlights and turn signals and probably real mirrors, not video cameras. Just an awful design by people who have no clue about automotive engineering.
Diesel powered cars are noisey then gasoline and servicing is harder to find and cost more? Even dealership sometime sent the customer's vehicle to a "specialists" that works on Diesel engines only!
At least one study has suggested the soot spewed out by diesels may have a greater greenhouse warming effect than the supposed benefit from their lower emission of CO2.
If you count humans and their health as part of the environment then I think it has become pretty obvious that diesels are an environmental hazard, not a benefit. Electric cars powered by electricity generated from fossil fuels don't save an appreciable amount of CO2 over petrol engine driven cars, and none at all over diesels.
One thing governments could do is tax companies on the basis of employee commuting and so give them a motive to sponsor more working from home. I'm not talking about seriously punitive taxes, just high enough to give them a nudge.
Along with the Apple car would come the ecosystem of alliances, services, apps, and standards that extend into the businesses and government agencies and services of the community. A restaurant district could make its roads, parking, and businesses all compatible with 'Apple Drive', an Apple Pay-like system and spec that sets out the requirements to integrate with and accommodate the Apple Car customer.
Apple need not build cars from scratch. There could be Apple editions of certain cars that carry Apple hardware and meet functional and security criteria. In fact, Apple should not only build its own cars. There should also be Apple Car editions of the BMW i3, Kia Sportage, Chevy Cruze, and so on.
Despite a car being good looking, it also has to be affordable if you want to stay in business.
Personally, I don't think the people who can eventually afford an Apple car are going to buy one anyway. If it's anything like their PC business, you'll be paying Cadillac prices for a machine equipped like a Chevy... Most people who buy new cars are a little more aware of what they are getting for the money, IME.
If it's all electric, you'll also have to buy the spare battery trailer to make it to work and back on a long commute...