Exclusive: Apple targets car production by 2024 and eyes 'next level' battery technology - sources

[brooklynite]

Source: Reuters

The iPhone maker’s automotive efforts, known as Project Titan, have proceeded unevenly since 2014 when it first started to design its own vehicle from scratch. At one point, Apple drew back the effort to focus on software and reassessed its goals. Doug Field, an Apple veteran who had worked at Tesla Inc, returned to oversee the project in 2018 and laid off 190 people from the team in 2019.

Since then, Apple has progressed enough that it now aims to build a vehicle for consumers, two people familiar with the effort said, asking not to be named because Apple’s plans are not public. Apple’s goal of building a personal vehicle for the mass market contrasts with rivals such as Alphabet Inc’s Waymo, which has built robo-taxis to carry passengers for a driverless ride-hailing service.

Central to Apple’s strategy is a new battery design that could “radically” reduce the cost of batteries and increase the vehicle’s range, according to a third person who has seen Apple’s battery design.

Apple declined to comment on its plans or future products.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-autos-exclusive/exclusive-apple-targets-car-production-by-2024-and-eyes-next-level-battery-technology-sources-idUSKBN28V2PY

[yaesu]

1. another monopoly, just what we need. nt

[mahina]

4. Oh come on.

I’m stoked.

What would you love to see happen instead? I bet it would be good too.

[My Pet Orangutan]

7. Monopoly? A monopoly in what, Cars?

[mahina]

25. Thank you

[Initech]

34. Not in the electric car market.

There's at least 20 different start up companies that I know of that hope to get production going by 2024. Definitely not a monopoly.

[cstanleytech]

2. A car that probably will cost 2x what the average does and any extras

will set you back another 10k to 20k each.

[msongs]

3. keeping its chinese overlords in the $4? nt

[RainCaster]

5. A car priced higher than a Tesla

With a BOM cost of $2300, built by Chinese slave labor. This vehicle will be the ultimate status symbol for all who can afford it. Apple will have patent licensing agreements on all major replacement parts such that you will be forced to buy new tires and brakes from Apple.

[SergeStorms]

18. And there will be lines of people....

queuing up in freezing weather for the latest model every year. I can visualize the carnage at the Apple kiosk in Manhattan in my mind right now.

[brooklynite]

29. "built by Chinese slave labor"

Tell us, please, where the computer you're using was built?

[RainCaster]

35. Built in my shop, from Chinese parts

[ucrdem]

6. Hood will be sealed shut,

and tires will be airless. Rivets will be used instead of screws. Battery cannot be replaced. Gas will be remain in the cloud. Controls including braking, steering, and turning on the radio will use proprietary engineering and require an Apple account to access.

[My Pet Orangutan]

8. I'm an Apple fanboy but :LOL:!

[denbot]

9. After the first software up date the iCar's will attempt to kill Tesla's

It’s all about market share..

[JI7]

10. How will it kill Tesla ? Wouldn't it more likely lower the cost of the cars ?

[denbot]

11. I was kinda joking..

Kinda..

[JI7]

12. I see it after reading the post again

[SunSeeker]

13. As the owner of a Chevy Bolt EV, I can tell you only Tesla EVs are worth buying.

Not only are Teslas great performing cars, but even more important, they have the necessary INFRASTRUCTURE. I have sadly learned with my Bolt that charging stations for non-Tesla cars absolutely suck (often inoperative, being used as parking spots by gas cars, locations are few and far between, slow charging). I've been waiting for years for the non-Tesla charging stations to get better, to no avail. Tesla's fast charging stations are the only way to go if you want to do any out of town driving. What's the point of owning a car if you can't drive it out of town?

Unless Apple or any new EV upstart works out a deal with Tesla to use Tesla charging stations, they will only capture a tiny portion of the EV market. Apple is just being stupid. Why doesn't Apple do something useful, like cut a deal with Tesla to get Tesla to offer Apple Carplay in their EVs?

[JI7]

15. what's apple carplay ?

[SunSeeker]

16. It's a software program them lets you use your phone's apps on the car's infotainment screen.

Last edited Tue Dec 22, 2020, 04:18 PM - Edit history (1)

It doesn't work for all the apps, but it does for the key ones like Calendar, Waze and Pandora.

My Bolt has Apple Carplay, as well as the version for android phones like my Samsugn S10, "Android Auto."

Once you've tried Apple Carplay or Android Auto, you'll never want to live without it. It's wonderful to have my Waze map on my car's 10" infotainment screen rather than watching it on my tiny phone screen.

https://www.apple.com/ios/carplay/

[jmowreader]

33. I like it better than my Tiguan's navigation

The Tiguan only allows street addresses to be entered. CarPlay allows me to feed in “Home Depot Moses Lake WA” (a real search I made) and give you directions to it.

[paleotn]

20. Standardization is the key to widespread adoption....

and a lot less headaches. Same as when personal automobiles started out. Some were actually steam driven into the 1930's, believe it or not. Once everyone decides what's best and most economical, standardized electric charging will become as ubiquitous as modern gasoline. Maybe the Tesla system. Maybe something else that's in the design stage or not even dreamed up yet.

[Quemado]

22. Elon Musk tweet re: Tesla Superchargers

Link to tweet

https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-supercharger-support-other-evs-elon-musk/

It appears that Tesla’s Supercharger Network will soon support vehicles beyond the company’s lineup of electric cars. The update was announced on Twitter by CEO Elon Musk, who remarked that while the initiative remains low-key for now, the Supercharger Network is being made accessible to other EVs.

“They are, although it’s kind low-key. Tesla Superchargers are being made accessible to other electric cars,” Musk wrote, responding to an inquiry from Tesla owner and prolific YouTube tech reviewer Marques Brownlee. Unsurprisingly, the CEO’s statement promptly attracted a lot of speculations from the electric vehicle community.

[SunSeeker]

27. Tesla is waiting for the car manufacturers to pony up some dough to make it operational.

The major car manufacturers are being stupid assholes. They need to give Tesla millions in investment to maintain and expand the Tesla supercharger network. Tesla won't let them just hook up to their chargers for nothing, after it spent all that money and sweat building their worldwide network.

[Quemado]

23. What has been your experience (if any) with Electrify America?

Currently, I have a reservation for a VW ID.4 that comes with three years of free charging on Electrify America. But, considering your experience, I may cancel my reservation and get a Tesla.

[SunSeeker]

26. I have never used Electrify America stations since I haven't seen any where I drive.

I live in Southern California, maybe they chose not to build a lot of stations here because of high property values/high rent.

Look up where their stations are, see if they are where you plan to drive.

But if they're like any of the other non-Tesla stations, they're crap.

If I had to do it over again, I would definitely get a Tesla...even though I hate Elon Musk. Tesla owners have the highest customer satisfaction of any car owners, which I can attest to since two of my closest friends have Model 3 Teslas and are literally in love with their cars. There's a reason Tesla stock is going through the roof.

I wish the fucking major car manufacturers would sit down with Tesla and work out a deal with Tesla so that any EV can use the Tesla network. It would explode EV sales, a huge win for the environment. In exchange, they would of course have to give Tesla something, like millions in investment to maintain and expand the Tesla supercharger network. Tesla won't let them just hook up to their chargers for nothing, after it spent all that money and sweat building their worldwide network.

And there should only be ONE kind of fast charging plug for EVs, so that it is universal no matter what EV you own, so you can go to any station. The current situation reminds me of the ridiculous VHS versus Betamax tape war, which Sony lost.

DC Fast Charging (Level 3 Charging) uses direct current (DC) rather than alternating current (AC) for a faster, more high powered charging experience. With DC fast charging, there are three different types of charging stations: 

1. Tesla Supercharger: Tesla's own network of high-powered fast-charging stations that can only be used by Tesla owners.
2. CHAdeMO: The most popular standard type, used by the Nissan Leaf, Kia Soul, Citroen C-Zero, Honda Fit, and more.
3. CCS: Many automakers use this type, including EVs produced by Volkswagen, BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, Mercedes, and Volvo.

Note: If you own a Tesla, you can buy adapters to charge at CHAdeMO or CCS charging stations. However, as of now, non-Tesla vehicles cannot charge at Tesla superchargers.

https://get-green-now.com/electric-car-plugs-and-chargers/

You'd be stuck with with the CCS fast charger stations like I am with my Bolt.

[Skeptical Thomas]

14. Expanding the Cult Again

Apple will be selling air before long. And its acolytes will purchase it!

[IronLionZion]

24. Canned/bottled air has been sold for some time

https://thehustle.co/the-dystopian-business-of-bottled-air/#:~:text=What%20began%20as%20a%20joke,one%20breath%20at%20a%20time.%E2%80%9D

People buy bottled water because they like plastic pollution, so why not?

[mrs_p]

17. Battery?

My iPhone battery has to be charged frequently. Why would I ever trust them to make one to last?

[paleotn]

19. Day late and a lot of dollars short....

Tesla was early to the game. The automakers have decades of research behind them and can develop and scale far quicker and cheaper than someone starting from scratch. Now, if they can figure out a next gen battery system before Tesla, GM or Toyota? More power to them...pun intended. That might fall within their institutional expertise.

[dalton99a]

21. Will their self-driving cars use Apple Maps?

[SmartVoter22]

28. Cars are computers with wheels now

and I, for one, would trust Apple to make a very well designed, efficient car.
If the normal Wall St perspective would be applied, Apple has enough 'cash on hand' to outright purchase Ford & GM, based on market caps, and still wind up with tens of billions left over.

Apple's customer support may also provide owners with far more simple repair support than a 'check engine light'. Headlights, fluids etc could be better designed for user repairs. Most cars are designed for build production; when in the line a part has to be inserted and they are designed for the next parts that goes over, under around that previous part. A car that you can preset it's interaction with you is not a bad idea. It can give those home mechanics alot of info to keep the car happy, healthy and fast as hell.
It can also help lower insurance, as the car will be less dangerous - the care will demand you fix it.

Apple would not think about a car, as has been the norm for a century. If the wiper fluid bottle goes somewhere else to make it easier to fill, so be the extra long hose becomes a reality. A battery clamp? forget about that nonsense. A large panel lithium- insert here.
And the car will be in constant communications with the driver. It can read roads ahead and shift the tranny for hills, pot holes, etc. Just like Bentleys do now, for the additional $30k.

Apple will re-think the car. a Car- think different. Apple changed how electronics are created and produced globally.
I like them looking at cars, and medical devices on wrists, and they have changed TV as we know it. Every TV program is a mp4 movie, something Apple helped invent in the 80's. Sorry Kodak and Panavision, but you didn't think different.

If Apple does make a car, it will be accepted. If the Korean production doesn't work out. Apple, as I said earlier can easily just buy a current global manufacturer. How about an Apple semi truck, or an Apple 737 iMax, or an Apple Modular Home?

If you put your mind to it...and nobody made that that better than Apple.

[truthisfreedom]

30. I've read about this "next level" battery... LiFePO4.

It’s not new. It’s heavier and bigger than Tesla’s batteries and it does have the advantage of very long life (as in many charges before failure). Tesla is already using this battery tech in China.

[sarcasmo]

31. Any Apple car battery will drain quickly.

[brooklynite]

32. FWIW I've never had battery problems with an Apple product.