Auto industry ready for massive change – Apple CEO

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The rumour that Apple will soon join the automotive world beyond just providing the Carplay infotainment system will not be subsiding anytime soon. The iPhone and iPad maker has never commented on a purported autonomous electric vehicle programme, but CEO Tim Cook’s recent comments could be hinting at something.

Cook took the Wall Street Journal Digital Live stage this week and said that the automotive industry is ready “for massive change, not just an evolutionary change”.

There are more and more full- or hybrid-electric vehicles entering the market, and all the big carmakers are investing big in driverless technology. These are areas that Cook sees as the next step for cars.

“Software becomes an increasingly important component of the car of the future. Autonomous driving becomes much more important. And so a lot of the major technologies in the car shift. Electrification, et cetera – they shift from today’s combustion engine-centric kind of focus. And so it would seem like there will be massive change in that industry, massive change.” Cook said.

2016-Honda-Accord-with-Apple-CarPlay-22

Just commenting on the industry as an observer or is that a hint at things to come from the Apple? Cook retreated back to in-car connectivity.

“As we look at it, what we really want in the – hopefully in the short term – is, we’d like people as they enter their car to have an iPhone experience in their car,” Cook told the WSJD crowd. “We’ll see what we do in the future,” he added.

Recently, WSJ reported that Apple’s electric car project (codenamed Project Titan) has been internally classified as a ‘committed project’ with an ambitious 2019 target ship date. In August, UK’s Guardian said that Apple was scouting for secure locations in the San Francisco Bay area to test the car.

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Danny Tan

Danny Tan loves driving as much as he loves a certain herbal meat soup, and sweet engine music as much as drum beats. He has been in the auto industry since 2006, previously filling the pages of two motoring magazines before joining this website. Enjoys detailing the experience more than the technical details.

 

Comments

  • tokmoh. on Oct 21, 2015 at 11:00 am

    May cost more than a kidney

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
    • cynical on Oct 21, 2015 at 11:49 am

      A kidney is just the price for an iphone, you may have to sell your first-born child to get the icar

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 1
      • Faggot Phone and Faggot Car. on Oct 21, 2015 at 2:14 pm

        Only faggots buy Apple products. Way overpriced and when anything goes wrong, if outside warranty, repair bills are nothing less than RM2k. (especiallly macbook and iphone users)

        Never trust Apple.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 3
        • have you ever owned an Apple product? There’s this thing called AppleCare

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 3
    • George Abdul on Oct 21, 2015 at 11:56 am

      Even Apple a “handphone industry company” can build car better then Proton that apply of 30 years in auto industry shame !!!

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 6
      • Potong saga on Oct 21, 2015 at 3:12 pm

        Nampak bonar menipunya, kereta pun belum launch lagi. Kah3 haterzz

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 6
  • I wonder how a car would be without a window. With a retina display perhaps?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • seancorr (Member) on Oct 21, 2015 at 11:45 am

    A lot of companies have underestimated Apple in the past and got into trouble eg. Microsoft, Blackberry and more recently the luxury watch makers which are now all rushing to make their own smartwatch so it would be wise not to judge until you see the final product plus Apple has the largest amount of reserve cash as a company on earth to spend on projects like these.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • guest on Oct 21, 2015 at 12:10 pm

    iCar roadmap:
    1) Claim they have revolutionize the automotive world
    2) iCar available only in black or white.
    3) iCar now available in exciting Gold.
    4) iCarS comes out shortly after.
    5) iCar now available in very exciting Rose Gold.
    6) iCarC to cater for budget buyers

    Following year, bump up the iCar version say iCar2, make the previous iCar slower to force users to upgrade. Rinse and repeat. Profit

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 2
  • donno on Oct 21, 2015 at 12:28 pm

    As today is 21/08/2015, it is about time that we have flying cars and hoverboards… Mcfly would be disappointed if he found out the future has none of that…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • joseph on Oct 21, 2015 at 1:20 pm

    Call me old-fashioned, but with the rampant proliferation of software and electronics into modern cars, it has made driving a rather uninvolving and uninspiring experience. Autonomous self driving car, seriously!! If that day comes, I will rather go back riding my bicycle or using public transport..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
 

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