Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

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

reuters.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

171–180 of 699 posts

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

#171

Post by Aunche »

modeless wrote: post #6

The Tesla Model 3 already embodies the minimalism, software focus, and vertical integration that have driven Apple's success in the phone market. Right down to the custom SoC and capacitive touchscreen in lieu of buttons. I'm really curious what Apple's differentiators will be. Also, 2024 still seems aggressive to deploy self-driving for real.

Well Apple is known for its QA, and Tesla is known for its lack of QA. In general, Tesla fans want the latest bleeding edge technology, while Apple fans generally want something that "just works".

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

#172

Post by tobr »

onethought wrote: post #149
treis wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure I see that. Clearly they are good at making computer like things, but it's not like they're God's gift to supply chain management. There's been quite a few mistakes over the years. Hard to see them doing better than car companies that have been building cars for decades. I'm also not sure what Apple's edge here is. At this point all I really want out of an entertainment center is a screen for my phone to…

> Hard to see them doing better than car companies that have been building cars for decades. I'm sure Nokia had the same confidence in 2005.

Past performance is not indicative of future results etc, but you’re right, this is basically exactly what Palm CEO Ed Colligan said about the rumored iPhone a few months before it was revealed[1]:

> “We’ve learned and struggled for a few years here figuring out how to make a decent phone,” he said. “PC guys are not going to just figure this out. They’re not going to just walk in.”

1: https://daringfireball.net/2006/11/colligan_head_stuck

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

#173

Post by Luc »

petra wrote: post #141
cortesoft wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, that is what modern supply chain management is.... being able to manage a ton of different outsourced suppliers

Car manufacturers manage a ton of different outsourced suppliers. Yet still, they manufacture cars on their own.

Not always. You can have Magna Steyr develop and/or assemble cars for you. They’ve done so for a long time, for big brands like BMW and Audi too.

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

#174

Post by easde »

vb6sp6 wrote: post #90
antoniuschan99 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The criticism Tesla had initially was that they didn’t outsource their production to companies like Magna, but instead do it in-house. I think Apple will outsource it, although the article did say talks with Magna fell through. Dyson seems like it has the know how to do production in-house, but their car project failed.

Tesla's contracted a lot of work to Lotus

Only for the first-gen Roadster, all the way back in 2008. Total sales: 2450.

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

#175

Post by damnyou »

modeless wrote: post #6

The Tesla Model 3 already embodies the minimalism, software focus, and vertical integration that have driven Apple's success in the phone market. Right down to the custom SoC and capacitive touchscreen in lieu of buttons. I'm really curious what Apple's differentiators will be. Also, 2024 still seems aggressive to deploy self-driving for real.

> I'm really curious what Apple's differentiators will be.

It'll only work with an iPhone.

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

#176

Post by kart23 »

Ah, yes Apple in cars is exactly what we need. Can't buy any replacement parts, overpriced service that can only be done at the apple store, and they completely stop supporting old models after five years. Cars having problems driving? Yeah well, looks like you bought it seven years ago, so we can't do anything. We can recycle it to be eco-friendly though!

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

#177

Post by the_duke »

mikece wrote: post #17

"It remains unclear who would assemble an Apple-branded car, but sources have said they expect the company to rely on a manufacturing partner to build vehicles." Does Apple have enough money (cash, line of credit capability) to simply buy an automaker? I can see where it would make the most sense to partner but having an option to buy at a later point could bring advantages to Apple.

Apple prefers to outsource the difficult, high capex, low-margin and worker rights/fair compensation encumbered aspect of their products to third parties.

Buying a manufacturer would bring all of that in-house.

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

#178

Post by capableweb »

0xEFF wrote: post #139
treis wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure I see that. Clearly they are good at making computer like things, but it's not like they're God's gift to supply chain management. There's been quite a few mistakes over the years. Hard to see them doing better than car companies that have been building cars for decades. I'm also not sure what Apple's edge here is. At this point all I really want out of an entertainment center is a screen for my phone to…

> I'm also not sure what Apple's edge here is. At this point all I really want out of an entertainment center is a screen for my phone to plug into. Apple has been doing CarPlay for years. If they do at least as well with the rest of the interior they’ll have an edge over most luxury cars today.

I don't think CarPlay is ahead what anyone else is doing, Android Auto works in reality much better than CarPlay, at least with my car. The UX of CarPlay makes much less sense, has less functionality and less safety features than Android Auto. And somehow CarPlay is also inverting the rolling control my car has, just like they do with the scrolling on touch pads.

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

#179

Post by jacobolus »

novok wrote: post #156
jacobolus wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't imagine that it didn't stand up to very extensive lab testing, before getting approved for mass production across Apple's laptops. It would be very interesting to hear some inside accounts about what went wrong there. I wouldn't at all be surprised to learn that the mass-produced parts didn't quite measure up to the prototypes, whether because of less consistent materials, part manufacturing defects, slightly…

I think their lab testing did not include dusty home, outdoor and food crumb simulations that the real world has, probably fairly clean factories with high amounts of ventilation sucking out all the dust with robot fingers doing fatigue tests.

It didn't seem to me like dust was the main problem, or at least not the only problem.

I could believe that their test rig didn't adequately simulate the motions/stresses of finger keypresses.

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

#180

Post by ardit33 »

petra wrote: post #141
cortesoft wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, that is what modern supply chain management is.... being able to manage a ton of different outsourced suppliers

Car manufacturers manage a ton of different outsourced suppliers. Yet still, they manufacture cars on their own.

not all of them... many do outsource lower volume cars (usually luxury) to third parties.

"Magna currently holds contracts to produce vehicles for BMW, Daimler, Jaguar Land Rover and Toyota."

Post reply on HN