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Can Apple create a “new innovation” in the automotive market?
Apple’s theory of autonomous car production, which seemed to be dying, was reinforced. Reuters reported on the 21st (local time) that Apple plans to launch autonomous electric vehicles in 2024, and the related market is affected.
CNBC and many other influential outlets also cited Reuters reports, showing much interest in Apple’s entry into the electric vehicle market.
Consequently, attention is being paid to how Apple will enter the automotive market. At present, while the production of cars under the Apple brand is being widely discussed, there is a possibility that it is a method of software licensing.
First challenge in 2014 … Speed when recruiting Tesla executives
It was in 2014 when Apple first introduced its electric vehicle plan. The news that Apple, one of Silicon Valley’s top innovators, is making electric vehicles, has raised high expectations.
However, progress since then has been contrary to expectations. What Apple chose to deal with was the hiring of Tesla Vice President Doug Field.
After Doug Field joined Apple in 2018, the electric vehicle plan, called ‘Project Titan’, began to gain momentum. Field was one of the key players in the development of the Model 3 at Tesla.
Doug Field was revamped last year laying off 190 people on the Titan project team.
According to reports for the day, the Titan project team led by Doug Field is busy with the goal of launching an autonomous electric vehicle in 2024.
According to foreign media, the most striking part of Apple’s electric car is the battery. Apple is expected to use a single battery manufacturing technology called ‘single cell’. In this case, the effect of significantly reducing the cost of manufacturing the vehicle can be expected.
Other than this, no specific details are known. Which companion to take by the hand and what form of the car to offer is still veiled.
There is only one thing that stands out. The point is that the autonomous electric car that Apple is trying to make is a passenger vehicle. It’s the same way that Doug Field, who is leading the project, did it at Tesla.
This is quite different from Google’s approach. The development of autonomous vehicles of Waymo, a Google subsidiary, focuses on Robo Taxi.
“A new opportunity for Apple” vs. “The automobile market has a different grammar”
When reports came out about Apple’s EV launch plan, CNBC reported that in Silicon Valley, optimism and pessimism were strikingly clashed and a fierce battle was fought, CNBC said.
One side predicted that the electric vehicle business would be a new opportunity for Apple. On the other hand, the other party made a negative prediction that Apple will face the harsh reality of the “high investment, low margin” car market.
Pessimists point out that the automotive market is very different from what Apple has been.
Apple’s core business is smartphones, computers, and accessories. They are making huge profits by offering premium products in this market.
But the car market is different. While a large amount of investment is required, the margins are low. The grammar of the market itself is different.
For this reason, there is also the possibility that Apple’s electric vehicle project is at the R&D level.
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In an interview with CNBC, Evercore analyst Amy Daranyni predicted that “Apple is unlikely to get into the car business, which is capital intensive and has a low margin.”
However, he added, “if we successfully develop innovative battery or autonomous vehicle technology, it may be a project worth trying.”
