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Apple targets car production by 2024, eyes ‘next level’ battery tech: sources

reuters.com

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Re: Apple targets car production by 2024, eyes ‘next level’ battery tech: sources

#321

Post by kansface »

christophilus wrote: post #285

If I was an Apple shareholder (I guess I am, indirectly through Berkshire), this would piss me off. Apple is in a very good business. Cars are a terrible business. Just compare Apple’s margins to any car company. Also, it’s really hard to move into a business that is widely outside your core competency. It can be done, but the effort is huge, and I suspect the median track record is poor.

I'm a small time Apple shareholder and have the opposite reaction. Apple is sitting on 300 billion in cash - I expect them to do something with it. They need to move into some other market because their existing ones are tapped out. Cars are a great fit:

1. Big enough market for an investment of 10s of billions

2. Its international (quit a bit of that money is stuck overseas)

3. Making electric cars isn't too hard (see Tesla)

4. Its a consumer product and they have the best consumer brand which they can easily leverage.

5. The car market is poised to be radically disrupted in the short term - electric cars/self driving cars

Re: Apple targets car production by 2024, eyes ‘next level’ battery tech: sources

#322

Post by zarkov99 »

christophilus wrote: post #285

If I was an Apple shareholder (I guess I am, indirectly through Berkshire), this would piss me off. Apple is in a very good business. Cars are a terrible business. Just compare Apple’s margins to any car company. Also, it’s really hard to move into a business that is widely outside your core competency. It can be done, but the effort is huge, and I suspect the median track record is poor.

I am an Apple share holder and I am thrilled. How did you feel when the first iPhone came out? Isn't this similar?

Re: Apple targets car production by 2024, eyes ‘next level’ battery tech: sources

#323

Post by root_axis »

EduardoBautista wrote: post #293
root_axis wrote: post #256

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would you think Apple is capable of building rockets? They have essentially zero aerospace expertise and that type of engineering is not at all in their DNA. Sure, they have billions of dollars to burn so it's within the realm of possibility, but it would be a very inefficient use of their cash.

Well, Elon Musk didn't have aerospace experience expertise either. Neither did Jeff Bezos.

Sure... but SpaceEx is a company with laser engineering focus on essentially one goal for the last two decades, and they're only recently gaining traction on their ambitions, Apple would have an extremely steep curve to ascend before they could even hope to enter the "crash a bunch of rockets for research" phase. Apple just isn't built for this type of engineering.

Re: Apple targets car production by 2024, eyes ‘next level’ battery tech: sources

#324

Post by bitexploder »

abhinavsharma wrote: post #21

This is starting to make increasingly more sense even though Apple making a car seemed laughable a few years ago. Apple is fundamentally now a company that can move immense amounts of capital into new industries with the underlying ethos of user experience. Apple Card was perhaps a dipping of the toes moment. In theory, Tesla shouldn't be worth what it is because the tech behind it is increasingly getting commoditize…

I tell everyone I view Tesla as a software company first and that their tech was a decade ahead of other car makers. I think it will still take another 5-8 years for a traditional automotive manfacturer to get close. Apple, they could do it.

Re: Apple targets car production by 2024, eyes ‘next level’ battery tech: sources

#325

Post by macintux »

rtx wrote: post #302
zaroth wrote: post #247

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s Ok. A lot of people thought keyboards on phones were an absolute requirement too. Like with phones, having touch screen control everything provides extraordinary flexibility in rolling out new software features and ultimately improving UX. Remember this design is supposed to lead the way into an FSD future achieved through purely software updates. Whether they succeed in automating the majority of miles driven…

I have never felt safe using any touch screen while driving.

What you’re missing, though, is that from Tesla’s perspective you shouldn’t be driving while trying to use it. Or much at all.

I prefer hardware to software and I’d hate to control my Jeeps with a touchscreen but my Jeeps aren’t driving themselves.

Re: Apple targets car production by 2024, eyes ‘next level’ battery tech: sources

#326

Post by meddlepal »

akeck wrote: post #241
iandanforth wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having recently sold my Tesla Model 3 I can say there is a lot to be desired with that car. The biggest lesson from Tesla is that cars are not cellphones. Having one display off to the side, without buttons, that does everything is an awful experience in a car. I hope that Apple learns that lesson. I think if they had gone first they might have made that mistake too, but now that it's been tried they can find interes…

I'm waiting for a good PEV from Mazda. They announced a policy of no touch screens.

I leased a 2020 Mazda 3 precisely for this reason... I want tactile feedback from my car's controls so I can keep my eyes on the road.

Re: Apple targets car production by 2024, eyes ‘next level’ battery tech: sources

#327

Post by _ph_ »

christophilus wrote: post #285

If I was an Apple shareholder (I guess I am, indirectly through Berkshire), this would piss me off. Apple is in a very good business. Cars are a terrible business. Just compare Apple’s margins to any car company. Also, it’s really hard to move into a business that is widely outside your core competency. It can be done, but the effort is huge, and I suspect the median track record is poor.

One can say many things about Tim Cook, but not that he doesn't understand "business". So if Apple makes a car, they certainly have a plan on how to make a profit from it.

Re: Apple targets car production by 2024, eyes ‘next level’ battery tech: sources

#328

Post by rswail »

ookblah wrote: post #273

the first apple model is gonna be some super expensive "edition" series rivaling bentleys and RR lol.

Which is exactly the same approach that Tesla used. They sold an expensive roadster, then an expensive SUV before selling a medium priced sedan.

Re: Apple targets car production by 2024, eyes ‘next level’ battery tech: sources

#329

Post by bananabreakfast »

rtx wrote: post #302
zaroth wrote: post #247

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s Ok. A lot of people thought keyboards on phones were an absolute requirement too. Like with phones, having touch screen control everything provides extraordinary flexibility in rolling out new software features and ultimately improving UX. Remember this design is supposed to lead the way into an FSD future achieved through purely software updates. Whether they succeed in automating the majority of miles driven…

I have never felt safe using any touch screen while driving.

That's okay, you won't be the one driving soon enough
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