Time to license Apple car tech?

[Albal]

Apple has recently decided to halt their Apple Car project, that they've been working on for the past 10 years. So it might be a good time to see if they have some good tech available to license? Seems like a window of opportunity here. Who knows, you might be able to hire some of their top-notch talent to go with it.

This article about a Rivian/Apple discussion made me think of this:
https://appleinsider.com/articles/2...ed-as-apple-discusses-partnership-with-rivian

 

[JohnnyScout]

That's assuming that Apple had any breakthroughs. I doubt it. Why else shutter it without shopping it around first.

Granted it seems ludicrous at first for a mainly software and computer company to build cars but Rovian and even Tesla had zero background in building cars when they started.

Google has been far ahead since it is their maps almost every one uses. And still seems funny why a search engine builds phones

But I digress. In my city a Verizon and Spectrum Mobile share a common wall in a plaza

 

[Chaparral]

Rumors out of Apple’s Asian supply chain are suggesting Apple are looking to partner with a US based EV startup. The original source does not name Rivian.

I doubt factories in Asia would be privy to information about such talks. Some factories have apparently invested speculatively, expanding their capabilities in the hope of getting EV part orders from Apple. No doubt the shareholders in these companies were very upset when Apple ended their project. This new story holds out hope that orders from the US might still come. I suspect the story is not true and was seeded by someone that benefits from it.

Nether-the-less, Scout should be talking to Apple. They had very experienced auto industry engineers working for a decade on all aspects of a vehicle. They must have something of value to offer Scout. Who knows what? Scout should find out.

Apple evidently were making self driving the center of their project. Many computer science experts have concluded that full self driving to the standard needed is essentially impossible without implausibly giant technological leaps. It is very easy to make impressive self driving demos that convince managers and investors to sink big money into development because it is easy to make it seem tantalizingly close. The reality is a chasm that technology cannot leap over any time soon. Apple seems to have determined this and stopped sinking money into it. Tesla and others keep pouring money into the impossible (apparently without even stopping to consider that people might actually like to drive themselves). Self driving cars around well mapped parts of California in perfect weather is one thing. Add rain and snow and ice and bad roads and poor maps and it’s impossible without real intelligence.

Apple were working on much more than the self-driving part. Scout should find out what Apple are willing to share. Because, who knows?

 

[JohnnyScout]

I have been a huge fan of science fiction --- and autonomous vehicles--- for 60 years + (yeah, old as dirt) and there is a place for them.

johnnycab from Total Recall or the self driving Audi from iRobot, each which required human override or the simple concept of individual pod vehicles hooking up as a contact less high speed "train" on the interstate commute or the ability to summon your vehicle from where it parked itself to pick you up as you exit work. All these are within the realm of even current tech without Apple.

I have had the explanation of how easy it would be to corral an autonomous semi or other vehicle and bring it to a controlled stop for nefarious reasons.

But as enthusiasts supporting a drivers vehicle how much hands and feet off do we want? Or need? My BMW X4 already can stay in its lane by itself and adjust its distance and match speed to vehicles in front and will change lanes (with only a warning g there is someone next to me) by simply tapping the turn signal stalk. My hands only have to be on the steering wheel because the car pesters me for the touchy feely all without any help from Apple car play.

If there is going to be anything Apple in the Scout please make it an easy opt out. I would trust Samsung or Amazon over Apple to self drive my Scout. And if a major goal is off-roading do you want your Scout refusing to go in a velocity (speed and direction) of your choosing, even if dangerous ? Traction Control that dismisses ability to rock a vehicle put of a stuck position is a similar but usually overridable nanny control ( except in early Caddy CTS where the TC off button is in the glovebox)

Better than Apple car engineers who apparently never produced a prototype would be the the staff , including line workers, from Lordstown Motors who actually produced a few dozen vehicles.

Just because a vehicle will be 100% electric does not mean it has to be primarily autonomous. And from apples latest iteration and ad campaign there intent is to squash and crush individual creativity and compress it into a box. A bright and shiny third inch thick box but a box nonetheless.