dk49

"It will take another 5 to 7 years to ship". I am afraid that's quite long, and if Apple finally launches the car in that time gap, it might be too late. Other car makers like Tesla would have evolved quite a lot. Even If Apple manages to release a Level 5 autonomy vehicle, it's highly likely that others like Tesla and Waymo would have done so already. And given that Tesla and other are increasingly focusing on the in-car entertainment and productivity, Apple's offering might not be as compelling as it seems right now. 

Tim Cook always says, "we want to be the best, not the first", but if you enter a nascent market too late, the odds of failure increases. Homepod is the perfect example of that.

MassiveAttack said:

oberpongo said:

These statements from VW CEO are very similar to what the CEOs of Nokia, Blackberry and Microsoft said about the iPhone when it was unveiled in 2007. time will tell if VW will be as forgotten as Nokia and Blackberry. 

Actually, VW has the best potential to be the best on the market if VW could rule their software issue and could generate a competitive OS system.

Just imagine, VW could bring out an OS system, which work for VW, Audi, Skoda and other subsidiaries like Apple is doing with iPhone, iPad, Mac, watch etc. 

This network effect will bring VW to the No. 1. 

If you sell your VW and buy Audi, your data still exists and you do not have to start from zero because their OS system work for all subsidiaries. 

In this case, Apple must speed up to make a common agreement with any other OEMs or Magna. 
Apple has no time and time is ticking. 

The automotive area is the most conservative sector, where you will never see another Foxconn. 

Apple will have a difficulty to finde one car maker, who is willing to make cars for Apple. I highly doubt it. 

That's the thing. Creating a brand new OS from scratch isn't a joke. It's even more difficult than building a car from scratch. So many companies have tried this and failed. All of the custom OS that you see like Huawei's Harmony OS are just forked versions of Android. The OS ecosystem is so matured and integrated that even Microsoft failed to make a dent in the mobile market and had to eventually close it's mobile plans. And platform (OS) is really everything. Even tech giants like Facebook had to bow down in front of the platform (iOS). That's why Apple and Google are in a very unique and lucrative position in the tech industry, that's unmatched.

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.

Meanwhile, I am still waiting for the Apple Car..

People forget that Apple's products, at its core, are driven by User Experience. I per think Apple will focus on the whole "experience" of being in a car. Tesla is focusing on core aspects like Battery technology and autonomous driving. While it is the clear leader in these two segments as of now, competitors will catch up over the years. Sure, Tesla might still be a bit better after many years, but would you buy a Tesla just for slightly better battery or self-driving? Probably not. When the iPhone came, competitors had better specs, but not a better user experience. I personally think Apple is going to focus heavily on the user experience to differentiate itself. Cars are the next "platform". Think of it this way, when the car starts to drive itself, how do you spend your time in the car?