"We look forward to new competitors who will certainly accelerate the transformation of our industry and bring in new skills. The incredible valuation [of Apple] and thus the virtually unlimited access to resources instills a lot of respect in us. A real challenge - dimensions larger than that within our industry (e.g. Toyota Motor Corporation) I have already said: The most valuable company in the world will again be a mobility company - it can be Tesla, Apple or Volkswagen AG."
Translation: We’re out of ideas and look forward to stealing some from Apple.
There are ideas a plenty. Choosing the best most productive, most efficient, most practical and financially sound ones will be the key.
Along with that, legislation, communications and traffic infrastructure must also be up to the task.
For cars themselves, we will likely never see something that has not been imagined already and perhaps more than the car itself, the use we make of it will swing the transport industry in one way or another.
Will people stop purchasing cars at some point and move to a rent per use model? Will autonomous cars make the traditional taxis a thing of the past. Will autonomous drones and later, flying taxis, become a larger part of our lives in the near future.
There are so many unknowns but I'm sure everything that we may need in a car is already sitting in a dossier in every carmaker's files. From there to an actual car is another story.
If Apple produces a vehicle it will be small and specialized. Narrow set of Use Cases to use the lingo.
Who will the consumers be? One guess is their employees. Can they solve transportation issues their employees are encountering?
Who will they market to. Perhaps to China, SK, etc where there is a lot of small vehicle traffic, and somewhat chaotic traffic patterns that these countries would be willing to take the plunge to control.
I think he's looking forward to being Apple's OEM.
Given that Audi and Porsche -- for those wondering, they're owned by VW -- currently make some of the most stylish-looking cars out there, and his is a company that will have a lot of spare manufacturing capacity (and employees) as the EV revolution inevitably gains speed, and he has plant & equipment that can manufacture in some reasonable volume, he's probably getting in front of the line. And that's a good thing, IMHO.
That said, I am with @SpamSandwich above: I am still a bit dubious about this rumor, especially as 2024 is a long way off in the rapidly-evolving EV business.
Seems apparent that Tesla hasn't been able to take advantage of its early lead in EV's, with yearly production of just about 500k vehicles, most of which are the less profitable model 3. The irony is, the the Model Y is considered "meh", mostly a reconfiguration of the Model 3, and the VW ID4 is going to eat the Y's lunch.
"Narrator: Whether you're a fan of the company or not, it's impossible to deny that Tesla is king of the EV market. In 2019, the company sold close to 368,000 vehicles worldwide, in the U.S. accounting for 78% of all electric car sales. But one company still makes a strong case for being a serious challenger to Tesla's crown: Volkswagen. With a multi-billion dollar bet on electric mobility, VW's goal of manufacturing 28 million electric vehicles by 2028 might seem wildly ambitious. But the legacy automaker has a plan set in place for taking control of the EV market - and it just might work."
Tesla has been surviving on Government subsized tax incentives, and energy credits, and even of late, has barely generated a profit. Those energy credits will disappear as the major OEM's enter the EV marketplace, and as the market wants light trucks, crossovers, and SUV's more than cars, Tesla is actually behind the power curve with the older X, and newer Model Y, and still no truck.
Yeah, VW may ultimately be either the integrator of Apple's technology, or the manufacturer of whatever the Apple Car becomes, and this would be very bad for Tesla, but as a fact, VW's entry into the EV marketplace is already having an effect on Tesla's European market.
Remember way back when Blackberry and Nokia ‘welcomed’ Apple to the cellphone market with sarcasm dripping from their teeth? I do. Remember Steve Ballmer’s dismissive comments about the iPhone? I do. Why does the CEO of Volkswagen sound the same to me in 2020?
Lol ? persecution syndrome much ? The rivalry between car companies is not as toxic as what's happening with tech companies, there's far less salt involved when they are taking jabs at each other. Don't forget that those guys don't just compete at the consummer level, but also in motorsport. Racing competion is where those guys are spending a lot of their R&D budget, and the breaktrhough used in sportcar are then making their way into consummers cars. It's a radically different beast than a few tech companies only doing consummer stuff with little incentive to try hard. While cars makers are still green when it come to software, those guys are not joking around on the hardware side. Especially when it's about luxury cars, did you know that Ferrari got enginners devoted to the sound that the car will make ? From the exhaust to the sound that it's making when you close the door.
Apple is certainly never going to take part in formula one/e or in les 24h00 du Mans, but Apple infinite R&D budget might still have an indirect impact in motorsport.
Let's also be real, apple first car is probaly going to be all about user experience, what I'm expecting from them is a car all about comfort and ease of use, something that can stroll around in the city but also good to pick up your kids and groceries. Their first entry is not going to be cheap, it would be surprising to see a premium sedan (too big), but probably a premium hatchback.
But I really don't see them doing a "sporty" car that would have a focus on nervosity and driving sensation. Apple is going to be closer to a "consummer" Rolls Royce and Bentley. I would be really really surprised if they are pulling something like a Porsche Panamera.
Before iPhone, phone companies weren't really seen as "tech companies" either. Cars have tech in them too and they aren't regarded as "Tech companies". This is all too similar to pre-iPhone.
Only thing I like about all these new Apple Car rumors is that it makes me believe it's in the final stages and will be released soon. Possibly before 2025.
Yes that is "soon". Don't listen to iKnockoff morons who believe Apple develops products in 4 months.
Remember way back when Blackberry and Nokia ‘welcomed’ Apple to the cellphone market with sarcasm dripping from their teeth? I do. Remember Steve Ballmer’s dismissive comments about the iPhone? I do. Why does the CEO of Volkswagen sound the same to me in 2020?
Lol ? persecution syndrome much ? The rivalry between car companies is not as toxic as what's happening with tech companies, there's far less salt involved when they are taking jabs at each other. Don't forget that those guys don't just compete at the consummer level, but also in motorsport. Racing competion is where those guys are spending a lot of their R&D budget, and the breaktrhough used in sportcar are then making their way into consummers cars. It's a radically different beast than a few tech companies only doing consummer stuff with little incentive to try hard. While cars makers are still green when it come to software, those guys are not joking around on the hardware side. Especially when it's about luxury cars, did you know that Ferrari got enginners devoted to the sound that the car will make ? From the exhaust to the sound that it's making when you close the door.
Apple is certainly never going to take part in formula one/e or in les 24h00 du Mans, but Apple infinite R&D budget might still have an indirect impact in motorsport.
Let's also be real, apple first car is probaly going to be all about user experience, what I'm expecting from them is a car all about comfort and ease of use, something that can stroll around in the city but also good to pick up your kids and groceries. Their first entry is not going to be cheap, it would be surprising to see a premium sedan (too big), but probably a premium hatchback.
But I really don't see them doing a "sporty" car that would have a focus on nervosity and driving sensation. Apple is going to be closer to a "consummer" Rolls Royce and Bentley. I would be really really surprised if they are pulling something like a Porsche Panamera.
Before iPhone, phone companies weren't really seen as "tech companies" either. Cars have tech in them too and they aren't regarded as "Tech companies". This is all too similar to pre-iPhone.
Before the iphone mobile phones were already starting to become multi purposed computing device,if they weren't tech companies, then they were just deluding themselve.
The situation is more complex with cars, an Apple car is closer to the Apple watch than an iPhone. The apple watch is a sucessful product in it's category, Yet expensive dumbwatch are still a thing, because a smartwatch is not something that proved to be an absolute necessity.
Unlike mobile phone (even in the pre smartphone era), tech in most cars is either something that your smartphone can already do, or just about helping you drive better, at it's core the car is still an analogue device, that can fullfill it's role without any computer. You need music, a gps ? Just use your iPhone. There's no subsitute for an iPhone, and the whole concept effectively became a necessity for the world, It's the most powerfull communication tool in the world, because communication went far beyond just being able to make calls.
The only radical shift is going to be about electric cars and autonomous driving, but's it's a legal mess, Apple can make the car, but each country will have to find a system to make it work, and the stakes are higher. Even if we know that humans are faillible, any injury made by an inteligent car is going to get blown out way out of proportion.
Comments
Along with that, legislation, communications and traffic infrastructure must also be up to the task.
For cars themselves, we will likely never see something that has not been imagined already and perhaps more than the car itself, the use we make of it will swing the transport industry in one way or another.
Will people stop purchasing cars at some point and move to a rent per use model? Will autonomous cars make the traditional taxis a thing of the past. Will autonomous drones and later, flying taxis, become a larger part of our lives in the near future.
There are so many unknowns but I'm sure everything that we may need in a car is already sitting in a dossier in every carmaker's files. From there to an actual car is another story.
Who will the consumers be? One guess is their employees. Can they solve transportation issues their employees are encountering?
Who will they market to. Perhaps to China, SK, etc where there is a lot of small vehicle traffic, and somewhat chaotic traffic patterns that these countries would be willing to take the plunge to control.
Meanwhile:
https://www.businessinsider.com/volkswagen-tesla-ev-top-selling-electric-car-maker-2020-3
"Narrator: Whether you're a fan of the company or not, it's impossible to deny that Tesla is king of the EV market. In 2019, the company sold close to 368,000 vehicles worldwide, in the U.S. accounting for 78% of all electric car sales. But one company still makes a strong case for being a serious challenger to Tesla's crown: Volkswagen. With a multi-billion dollar bet on electric mobility, VW's goal of manufacturing 28 million electric vehicles by 2028 might seem wildly ambitious. But the legacy automaker has a plan set in place for taking control of the EV market - and it just might work."
Tesla has been surviving on Government subsized tax incentives, and energy credits, and even of late, has barely generated a profit. Those energy credits will disappear as the major OEM's enter the EV marketplace, and as the market wants light trucks, crossovers, and SUV's more than cars, Tesla is actually behind the power curve with the older X, and newer Model Y, and still no truck.
Yeah, VW may ultimately be either the integrator of Apple's technology, or the manufacturer of whatever the Apple Car becomes, and this would be very bad for Tesla, but as a fact, VW's entry into the EV marketplace is already having an effect on Tesla's European market.
Before iPhone, phone companies weren't really seen as "tech companies" either. Cars have tech in them too and they aren't regarded as "Tech companies". This is all too similar to pre-iPhone.
Yes that is "soon". Don't listen to iKnockoff morons who believe Apple develops products in 4 months.
The situation is more complex with cars, an Apple car is closer to the Apple watch than an iPhone. The apple watch is a sucessful product in it's category, Yet expensive dumbwatch are still a thing, because a smartwatch is not something that proved to be an absolute necessity.
Unlike mobile phone (even in the pre smartphone era), tech in most cars is either something that your smartphone can already do, or just about helping you drive better, at it's core the car is still an analogue device, that can fullfill it's role without any computer. You need music, a gps ? Just use your iPhone. There's no subsitute for an iPhone, and the whole concept effectively became a necessity for the world, It's the most powerfull communication tool in the world, because communication went far beyond just being able to make calls.
The only radical shift is going to be about electric cars and autonomous driving, but's it's a legal mess, Apple can make the car, but each country will have to find a system to make it work, and the stakes are higher. Even if we know that humans are faillible, any injury made by an inteligent car is going to get blown out way out of proportion.