Apple rumored to invest $3.6B in Kia to produce 100,000 'Apple Cars' per year

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 73
    sphericspheric Posts: 2,544member
    Kia will be a good fit. 

    I hope they'll manufacture entirely to Apple's specifications, though, and not be Motorola ROKR iTunes Phone of car design before Apple does it themselves to avoid the Suck. 
    retrogustowatto_cobra
  • Reply 22 of 73
    d_2d_2 Posts: 117member

    JWSC said:
    All of a sudden, I want to know less about the Apple car.  My enthusiasm is draining.  Apple might want to consider taking control of the news narrative at this point.
    Get Schiller out of retirement, a random internet person is losing interest in the rumors about an unannounced product!
    With Phil Schiller being the 'car nut' that he is, I'm betting that he's not fully retired and has some skin in this game.
    ronnretrogustogregoriusmfastasleepwatto_cobra
  • Reply 23 of 73
    I'm ready to buy if it's less than $65k. 
    My guess is that these vehicles will not be for sale. I think that they will slowly put out fleets of these to major cities as a taxi service. The car will automatically adjust to your presets and, with the use of handoff, you will seamlessly continue whatever it was you were doing prior to getting into the vehicle. I would further guess that the cities these are first released into will be those that first had street view. Perhaps this was part of the reason they had a change of opinion towards providing street view in maps? Regardless, I am skeptical that these will be for purchase. 
    gregoriusmwatto_cobra
  • Reply 24 of 73
    retrogustoretrogusto Posts: 1,109member
    I’m guessing that Apple has a significant technological advantage in some area that makes them confident that they will be able to make some of the best cars on the road from day one. Otherwise they would be unlikely to jump in to a such a different and famously difficult business with much lower margins than their other products. Perhaps a big breakthrough in battery technology? It’s obviously an area they’ve been investing in for years, and any R&D progress could benefit almost every product they make, but for electric cars it could be one of the biggest distinguishing factors. The self-driving thing could be part of it, but it seems like there should be something more fundamental. 
    edited February 2021 watto_cobra
  • Reply 25 of 73
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,905member
    It's all coming together one piece at a time. All negative, sarcastic people making comments on Apple EV; Apple will quitely make it happen and with love Apple will say right in your face. Now among others, you also have option/choice between Tesla and Apple. So, get on the side of anyone who helps against the climate change further ruining our earth/environment like Elon Musk's crusade. More EVs on earth, more time we can have to fix the earth climate change.
    edited February 2021 radarthekatwatto_cobra
  • Reply 26 of 73
    cg27 said:
    Hope it comes with an AppleCare option and 
    3% back on my $99k purchase if I use ApplePay.

    I know you're making a joke, but for the people that don't know.....car dealers won't let you buy a car on a credit card even if you had that type of credit limit. You must pay in full with a Loan or your own funds. The most car dealers will let you charge is Taxes as they know you won't renege on the Government (as they will come after you)......but can you get 3% on that?
    edited February 2021 fastasleepwatto_cobra
  • Reply 27 of 73
    fred1 said:
    I wonder how much the Kia name will affect the whole image of the Apple car. Kia may be a fine producer of cars, I don’t know, but I believe it”s seen as producing inexpensive cars for the lower sector of the market. Even if Apple has full control of every aspect of the design and manufacture, will people be able to disassociate it from the Kia brand?
    Apple doesn't build any of their products, they use manufacturing partners that also build products for many other companies — you know that right?
    I think it's a fair point to wonder about partnering with Kia. Consumers spend a much higher portion of their incomes on personal transportation than on Apple products (not counting some Mac Pro configurations). If the rumor mill was saying that Apple was considering partnering with the U.S.-based manufacturing arms of BMW or Mercedes-Benz, many consumers' first reaction would be, "Well, those are expensive cars, so Apple's car will be expensive and therefore good." Or if the rumors said Apple was considering partnering with Honda's U.S.-based operations, consumers might react by thinking "Honda has been known for value and quality for decades." It's true that Kia, along with sister brands Hyundai and Genesis, have enjoyed improved quality rankings in recent years. But many of us in the USA remember that automaker's reputation as a maker of cheap, unreliable cars from the late 1980s (when they first entered the U.S. market) and 1990s, and news reports suggest company hasn't entirely escaped its quality issues in recent years.

    I'm a fan of all things Apple … but I won't consider buying an Apple car until perhaps its fifth or sixth model year (after enough are on the roads to have established a reputation for reliability, hopefully), especially considering that Apple's car is more likely to have BMW pricing than Kia pricing, regardless of who builds it for them.
    edited February 2021 watto_cobra
  • Reply 28 of 73
    tzeshantzeshan Posts: 2,351member
    fred1 said:
    I wonder how much the Kia name will affect the whole image of the Apple car. Kia may be a fine producer of cars, I don’t know, but I believe it”s seen as producing inexpensive cars for the lower sector of the market. Even if Apple has full control of every aspect of the design and manufacture, will people be able to disassociate it from the Kia brand?
    This is not how auto industry works. Each manufacturer has some inexpensive models under a name and some luxury models under a different name. 
    randominternetpersonStrangeDaysfastasleepwatto_cobra
  • Reply 29 of 73
    dk49dk49 Posts: 267member
    longpath said:
    dk49 said:
    This is exactly what I was thinking Apple might do. But I was hoping they would pump money into Magna and ask them to build a US plant. Having Magna as a partner would have allowed Apple to have complete control over manufacturing process, without needing to be associated with an existing auto manufacturer, and thus not worrying about dilution of their brand. They could have also build their own car platform with assistance from Magna, instead of using Hyundai's E-GMP platform. That would have allowed them to build it exactly as per their needs.

    The article says that Apple will use its own battery technology. But if they are using Hyundai's E-GMP platform, they would probably have to stick with the battery included in that platform, unless Hyundai allows Apple to customize the platform with their own batteries.
    The platform would easily allow battery tech from Apple to be substituted, as long as it fits in the same bay. My concern is whether the platform is structurally dependent upon so-called mild steels being used in the battery box, which will render it vulnerable to salt rot. Hopefully, it is a design that’s adaptable to high nickel alloys, which resist rust and corrosion better.
    If Apple can put its own batteries in the platform, that will be great. But I am still a bit dissappointed that they chose not to build their own platform. Though that would have taken more time, but it would have been worth it in my opinion. The platform is a basis for the entire car, so Apple will be limited by the capacity of that platform. And some key things like suspension, motors, charging system, battery life (limited by the fixed space provided by the platform), etc can't be changed by Apple at all.  I understand that performance will probably not be the USP of the Apple car, but having a third party platform limits what the car is physically able to achieve. 
    edited February 2021 watto_cobra
  • Reply 30 of 73
    zimmiezimmie Posts: 651member
    fred1 said:

    entropys said:
    fred1 said:
    I wonder how much the Kia name will affect the whole image of the Apple car. Kia may be a fine producer of cars, I don’t know, but I believe it”s seen as producing inexpensive cars for the lower sector of the market. Even if Apple has full control of every aspect of the design and manufacture, will people be able to disassociate it from the Kia brand?
    tbh, Kia produces quite well made cars for the money, within a specific price category. Isn’t it good that Apple is going for a broader market than Porsche?

    see below:
    I'm ready to buy if it's less than $65k. 
    Would you buy a Kia that costs more than $25,000? You can bet the Apple car will cost much more than that.
    A lot of people have. The Kia Stinger starts at $33k, and it's really popular.

    cg27 said:
    Hope it comes with an AppleCare option and 
    3% back on my $99k purchase if I use ApplePay.

    I know you're making a joke, but for the people that don't know.....car dealers won't let you buy a car on a credit card even if you had that type of credit limit. You must pay in full with a Loan or your own funds. The most car dealers will let you charge is Taxes as they know you won't renege on the Government (as they will come after you)......but can you get 3% on that?

    Depends on the dealer. Some dealers—particularly at the extreme high end—definitely accept certain credit cards. The most commonly-cited example involves someone buying a Bentley with an AmEx Centurion, but a few other dealers are known to accept a few other cards as well.
    StrangeDaysfastasleepwatto_cobra
  • Reply 31 of 73
    boltsfan17boltsfan17 Posts: 2,294member
    fred1 said:
    I wonder how much the Kia name will affect the whole image of the Apple car. Kia may be a fine producer of cars, I don’t know, but I believe it”s seen as producing inexpensive cars for the lower sector of the market. Even if Apple has full control of every aspect of the design and manufacture, will people be able to disassociate it from the Kia brand?
    To be honest, I don't think Kia making cars for Apple will somehow tarnish Apple's image. Apple has to find a partner to produce cars so I don't think it makes a difference if they use Kia, Ford, VW, or any other brand. If people think using Kia somehow tarnishes Apple's image, they have no clue how the auto industry works. I'm sure a lot of people don't even realize makers such as Ford, BMW, Mercedes, etc are sourcing parts from the same supplier. 
    fastasleepwatto_cobra
  • Reply 32 of 73

    JWSC said:
    All of a sudden, I want to know less about the Apple car.  My enthusiasm is draining.  Apple might want to consider taking control of the news narrative at this point.
    Get Schiller out of retirement, a random internet person is losing interest in the rumors about an unannounced product!
    I haven't lost interest!
    JWSCStrangeDaysmacplusplusfastasleepwatto_cobra
  • Reply 33 of 73
    fred1 said:
    I wonder how much the Kia name will affect the whole image of the Apple car. Kia may be a fine producer of cars, I don’t know, but I believe it”s seen as producing inexpensive cars for the lower sector of the market. Even if Apple has full control of every aspect of the design and manufacture, will people be able to disassociate it from the Kia brand?
    To be honest, I don't think Kia making cars for Apple will somehow tarnish Apple's image. Apple has to find a partner to produce cars so I don't think it makes a difference if they use Kia, Ford, VW, or any other brand. If people think using Kia somehow tarnishes Apple's image, they have no clue how the auto industry works. I'm sure a lot of people don't even realize makers such as Ford, BMW, Mercedes, etc are sourcing parts from the same supplier. 
    I agree with you.  The wrinkle is how will these be sold?  I highly doubt Apple is seriously considering having their cars sold at Kia dealerships.  That would have an impact on perceptions, but that cannot be the plan.  As plenty of people have said here, one of the challenges with cars as opposed to phones and computers is that ongoing maintenance and repairs (with massive involvement from independent third parties) is a big part of the TCO.  When (if) Apple announces this, they'll have to explain where people will take these to be serviced.  Probably not an Apple Store.  Maaaaybe a Kia dealership?  Hrm.

    Steve Jobs' head would be exploding with these major leaks in recent days.  
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 34 of 73
    I'm ready to buy if it's less than $65k. 
    I’m ready to buy if it’s made from stainless steel.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 35 of 73
    saareksaarek Posts: 1,520member
    So the cost is $36,000 to Apple per car before they add their usual 35% or higher profit margins and other associated costs into the mix.

    Lets assume an entry price then of around $55,000 before sales tax.

    Apple likes to screw the rest of the world by charging a hefty Apple tax outside of the USA. So that $55,000 magically becomes £55,000.

    £50,000 - 55,000 is one hell of a lot of money. Not in terms of luxury cars or course, which I suppose is what Apple is naturally aiming for. But still, a lot.

    Our current car is a £38,000 Seat Alhambra. A nice big 7 seater “Soccer Mom” car with all the bells and whistles such as leather seats, LED lighting, auto parking, etc.

    I’m guessing I am unlikely to be the target market. My brother in law might consider trading in his Jaguar in a couple of years. But that only cost £39,000 and is a pretty luxurious car so not sure what they have, apart from their Apple logo, that will move people to the car.

    I do look forward to seeing what they come up with though!
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 36 of 73
    I'm ready to buy if it's less than $65k. 
    I’m ready to buy if it’s made from stainless steel.
    It will be made from liquidmetal.
    JWSCwatto_cobra
  • Reply 37 of 73
    JWSCJWSC Posts: 1,203member
    fred1 said:
    I wonder how much the Kia name will affect the whole image of the Apple car. Kia may be a fine producer of cars, I don’t know, but I believe it”s seen as producing inexpensive cars for the lower sector of the market. Even if Apple has full control of every aspect of the design and manufacture, will people be able to disassociate it from the Kia brand?
    Apple doesn't build any of their products, they use manufacturing partners that also build products for many other companies — you know that right?
    Everyone knows this but it’s besides the point since Apple designs that vast majority of parts in its products.  The purported use of the E-GMP platform is a big letdown because that is a fundamental automotive system designed not by Apple but another company.  If it was the tires then it would be a big shoulder shrug.  But this is a major subsystem.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 38 of 73
    JWSCJWSC Posts: 1,203member

    JWSC said:
    All of a sudden, I want to know less about the Apple car.  My enthusiasm is draining.  Apple might want to consider taking control of the news narrative at this point.
    Get Schiller out of retirement, a random internet person is losing interest in the rumors about an unannounced product!
    I haven't lost interest!
    I was going to say.  I thought you trademarked that name ... 😉 
    fastasleepwatto_cobra
  • Reply 39 of 73
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,834member
    fred1 said:
    fred1 said:
    I wonder how much the Kia name will affect the whole image of the Apple car. Kia may be a fine producer of cars, I don’t know, but I believe it”s seen as producing inexpensive cars for the lower sector of the market. Even if Apple has full control of every aspect of the design and manufacture, will people be able to disassociate it from the Kia brand?
    Apple doesn't build any of their products, they use manufacturing partners that also build products for many other companies — you know that right?
    Of course I know that. But other manufacturers don’t sell products under their own name and they don’t have a clear reputation for a certain sector of the market that I don’t think Apple is going for (low cost). 
    Foxconn makes other branded devices. Samsung makes a custom iPhone display but also makes its own displays and phones. Your argument doesn’t hold water. 
    edited February 2021 fastasleepwatto_cobra
  • Reply 40 of 73
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,905member
    Some point in future the name Kia will fade away and only thing everyone see is Apple EV iCar. Apple may start with A vehicle platform like what is mentioned in this article than right into it Apple will modify or design it's own and ask Kia to manufacture and build that Apple iCar.
    fastasleep
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