Nissan Says 'Not in Talks with Apple' Over Autonomous Car Project (reuters.com) 93
Nissan Motor said on Monday it is not in talks with Apple, following a report that the iPhone maker approached the Japanese company in recent months about a tie-up for its autonomous car project. From a report: The Financial Times said the companies had had brief discussions that faltered over Nissan's reluctance to become an assembler for Apple-branded cars, adding that the talks had not advanced to senior management level. "We are not in talks with Apple," a Nissan spokeswoman said. "However, Nissan is always open to exploring collaborations and partnerships to accelerate industry transformation." Hyundai and Kia also said earlier this month that they were not engaging with Apple on any car project.
Apple demanding too much? (Score:1)
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Far more likely is that Apple never talked to anyone about it and all the rumors are just market manipulators trying to make Apple and/or car manufs stocks move so they can profit from the volatility.
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Far more likely is that Apple never talked to anyone about it and all the rumors are just market manipulators trying to make Apple and/or car manufs stocks move so they can profit from the volatility.
Bullshit. Those that are in play know damn well the value of market manipulation and rumor when it comes to a publically traded company.
This has gone on long enough that they are in talks of making a car, or they are not. And multiple car companies offering a response, tends to hint as to what the truth is.
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Far more likely is that Apple never talked to anyone about it
Except we know that is false. Several car companies have said that Apple talked to them about making the iCar.
What they are saying is that they are not currently in talks.
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Probably having trouble getting manufacturers to sign up to be a low cost contract assembler for Apple. Not quite the same as a phone where there are lots of contractors for small electronics. Existing manufacturers don't need Apple.
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Existing manufacturers don't need Apple.
Yes they do. Car hardware is becoming a commodity. The value will be in the software. That's is the reason Teslas sell at a premium and it will be even more true in the future.
Re: Apple demanding too much? (Score:2)
I know this and agree ... But I don't think auto manufacturers do understand.
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That the value is in software does not imply that there is value to the hardware maker in using software that removes reliance on their hardware, and hands control to a large, rich company with a history of changing suppliers when they don't get their way.
You didn't even begin the analysis, and yet you came to a conclusion. You're an idiot 100% of the time you comment. You've never once thought it through even to the point of finding all the necessary terms.
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If Nissan doesn't cut a deal with Apple, then Apple will go to someone else and Nissan will be left to wither.
Tech companies are taking over the auto industry. Tesla built its own manufacturing infrastructure, but no car manufacturer has gone the other way and developed good software.
The tech companies hold all the aces. The legacy manufacturers need to partner-up or die.
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"Car hardware" is NOT becoming a commodity, not by any measure, and conventional manufacturers have been developing software for decades. It is a myth, if not an outright lie, that Tesla knows software in a way conventional makers don't, idiots just believe that because Tesla screens are bigger. The vast majority of software is not apps that run on tablet computers, velcro'ed to dashes or otherwise. There's an entire world of computing architecture that has originated in the auto industry, Tesla doesn't
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My guess is that Kia, Hyundai, and Nissan all took one look at the trail of devastation that Apple has left in its wake with pretty much everyone they ever partnered with and said, "Hell no!"
Re: Apple demanding too much? (Score:1)
Re: Apple demanding too much? (Score:1)
Me too (Score:5, Funny)
I can confirm that I am not in talks with Apple over autonomous vehicle technology either. My cat refused to comment.
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Quick buy shares in the Cat!
Re: Me too (Score:1)
Apple price and quality (Score:1, Flamebait)
Not that I would, but if I were to buy an Apple car I'd expect it to be better than a Hyundai, a Kia, or a Nissan. Why would I want a low-end import car if I'm paying for the Apple brand?
Re:Apple price and quality (Score:5, Funny)
The low-end imported car will almost certainly say something like "Designed by Apple in California". And have a white charging cable.
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The low-end imported car will almost certainly say something like "Designed by Apple in California". And have a white charging cable.
Will they be brave enough to make it without a transmission shifter? Or a steering wheel?
Re:Apple price and quality (Score:4, Funny)
Probably no transmission control, but I think at least a steering wheel. When the steering wheel stops working unexpectedly, the explanation is obvious: You are holding it wrong.
Re: Apple price and quality (Score:1)
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EVs don't have transmissions or shifters.
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EVs don't have transmissions or shifters.
Oops, so much for uninformed attempts at sarcasm. I don't have one so I have no idea; does one use a touch screen or use voice commands to go from Forward to Reverse in an EV? I assumed a normal transmission shift for that sort of thing.
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Just a button or a stalk on the steering column for forward or reverse. New Teslas with full self driving will just know what to do.
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"New Teslas with full self driving will just know what to do."
Thanks for the propaganda talking point. Will other brands with "full self driving" not "know what to do"?
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Don't know what others will do.
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If it's a Ford the first attempt at self-driving will be into Lake Huron.
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A stalk on the steering column is a shifter. A button though, wow. Seems like an easy way to accidentally go the wrong direction.
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A stalk on the steering column is a shifter.
No it isn't.
When you put a Tesla in reverse, no gears are shifted because there are no gears. Instead, the motor turns in the other direction.
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A stalk on the steering column is a shifter.
No it isn't.
When you put a Tesla in reverse, no gears are shifted because there are no gears. Instead, the motor turns in the other direction.
It shifts operation from one direction to another. It is a shifter of function but a shifter nontheless.
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It shifts operation from one direction to another. It is a shifter of function but a shifter nontheless.
If someone makes a U-turn, is that also "shifting"?
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Oh, yes, clearly, because the steering wheel is used to change direction, the lever that shifts between forward or backward must not be called a shifter. Let's call it "the forward or backward selecting thingy that is not a shifter because steering wheel".
no control = no way to to get AN DUI in one! (Score:2)
no control = no way to to get AN DUI in one!
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Will they be brave enough to make it without a transmission shifter? Or a steering wheel?
It will have a single round button in place of the steering wheel.
They will then patent the idea of rounded corners on cars and sue all other automakers into submission.
Re: Apple price and quality (Score:1)
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Revolutionary. so the length and force of the press will determine the steering direction. how innovative
No. Press lightly to start, hard to uh... look up a word in the dictionary (hello macbook users). Everything else is via swipes and siri. Also the car knows where you want to go. It's an Apple car, so where it goes is by definition where you want to go.
Re: Apple price and quality (Score:1)
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Will they be brave enough to make it without a transmission shifter? Or a steering wheel?
Yes. They are likely to be making an electric autonomous car. So no need for either.
"Designed by Apple in California" = can't do snow! (Score:2)
"Designed by Apple in California" = can't do snow!
Re: "Designed by Apple in California" = can't do s (Score:1)
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https://www.cars.com/articles/... [cars.com]
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You know Apple isn't going to play ball in this arena, so I'm not interested in their cars.
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You don't understand. You don't NEED availability of parts, etc. Sure, you can't replace your brakes, but don't worry about that. Apple will send an update that limits you to 10MPH so your brakes last longer. Your car should be replaced every 2 years anyway.
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Sure, you can't replace your brakes, but don't worry about that.
EVs use regenerative braking. When stopping or slowing, only the last few percent of kinetic energy is absorbed by the brake pads. So the factory-installed brake pads will last the life of the car.
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EVs use regenerative braking.
Different models use regenerative braking differently; for example, one of the complaints I hear about the Audi etron is that the amount of regeneration is limited in software, so you can't do "one pedal driving" in the same degree other EV brands allow. If you have an Audi EV you should expect more wear on the brake pads.
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EVs take a bit of getting used to.
The "gas pedal" works differently. It controls how much fuel goes to the engine in an ICE car, which roughly means acceleration.
But with an EV, the "gas pedal" controls velocity directly. If you lift your foot, your car decelerates rather than "coasting" the way a gas car does.
Perhaps Audi designed their system to behave more like an ICE car to make the transition easier.
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So do the brake lights come on when lifting your foot on the accelerator? I learned to touch the brake pedal lightly when I lifted my foot off the accelerator after a combination of almost getting rear ended and getting pulled over to get my brake lights checked twice. This was a diesel rather then a gas engine so slowed down awfully fast if the revs were a bit high when you took your foot off the pedal.
And those brake pads had to be changed every couple of hundred thousand klicks due to the pads rotting. M
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If you lift your foot, your car decelerates rather than "coasting" the way a gas car does.
You've apparently never driven a standard shift car, or an automatic built before about 1995. That's the way it's **SUPPOSED** to work, I take my foot off the gas because I want to slow down not because I want to go the same speed. I'm not sure what the purpose of making it coast is unless it saves some minuscule percentage of fuel, but whoever designed that into modern vehicles should have been flogged.
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ShanghaiBill is not someone who actually knows anything about cars (as evidenced by his posts), he just believes he's the resident expert on everything.
There are few EV makers yet on the market, but among them are fleet car makers and luxury makers, yet when a luxury maker, such as Audi, does something different than Tesla, it must be to "make a transition easier". It couldn't be because Audi knows more about making cars than Tesla, right?
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It does save fuel. However, every transmission I've met yet has offered some way to downshift (or similar) and do engine braking.
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Also false. An EV *can* be set up that way, but it is not an inherent characteristic of EVs.
Audi, and Porsche, believe that cars drive better when braking and acceleration are controlled separately. You would know this if you knew anything about cars. Sure, Teslas work differently, but Tesla doesn't define how cars work.
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False. If this were true then EVs would have diminutive brakes. They do not.
Regenerative braking works up to a point. Cars require much more braking capability at modern speeds that regen can satisfy on its own.
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False. If this were true then EVs would have diminutive brakes.
EV have full-sized brakes so they can stop quickly in an emergency.
Brakes are designed for worst-case scenarios, not average-case.
If you only go skydiving once a year, that doesn't mean you can use a diminutive parachute.
Re: Apple price and quality (Score:1)
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What if Dr Dre gave it the thumbs up. Maybe you'll fall over yourself trying to pay premium money for garbage then. It's worked with other Apple products.
Re: Apple price and quality (Score:1)
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Apple doesn't make anything themselves. Everything is contracted out. You're paying for the Apple Brand, "Designed in California".
A lot of people value that cachet and are willing to pay big bucks for it.
They may be having trouble getting existing auto manufacturers to sign up to be their low cost assembler. Existing manufacturers already have their designs and distribution. They don't need Apple. They probably don't want to be a low cost contract manufacturer.
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"Make" is more than manufacturing and distribution. Physical design, materials, tooling, parts...
You imply that it's just a brand logo they slap on, like today's Polaroid or Westinghouse or Zenith.
And as for "big bucks", it isn't like an iPhone is magnitudes more expensive than a Galaxy phone.
As for getting a car made, Magna Steyr is the obvious choice. It's what they do.
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Apple has that whole "Designed in California" thing. They actually do design things; they just don't build them.
Samsung has benefited from high Apple phone prices. However, they are overpriced. You can buy a phone which is functionally equivalent to an iPhone or Galaxy for less than $200. There's a lot of advertising expense and profit margin.
I don't know why Apple is not talking to Magna Steyr which would be logical. They may not have the capacity or like the terms. (Maybe they are?)
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The people buying Rolls Royce do not want a Rolls Royce made by Tata, even if it has Rolls Royce design and features.
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They'll buy it if it comes with a Rolls Royce price tag and an extra dose of snobbishness. Fanbois have proved that for years.
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How about if it's made by VW or BMW? You know Rolls hasn't been its own company for decades now, right?
Also, Jaguar and Land Rover, both Prestige brands, are owned by Tata.
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Seats? What about destinations? Want to go to a store that doesn't give Apple its rightful 30% cut of everything they sell? No can do.
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Any passengers using Android phones will have to put them in airplane mode before approaching the vehicle.
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What makes you think an Apple-branded car is even as desirable as any of the ones you mentioned? Also, you realize that both Nissan and Hyundai offer premium brands, right?
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https://www.cars.com/articles/... [cars.com]
At least Hyundai made the top 6, Nissan and Kai didn't even make the top 10. IF I were to buy an Apple car, at an Apple price, I'd expect something better than Nissan can make.
Having a premium brand doesn't mean anything. Build quality and reliability is where its at.
Re: Apple price and quality (Score:1)
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I think Hyundai vehicles sold on the US market are made in the US. Kinda makes you think how Hyundai and Honda are able to manufacture in the US but Ford manufactures in Mexico.
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The people buying a Rolls Royce do not want to find that its made by Tata, even if it has Rolls Royce design and features.
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Low end import ? Here in Australia Hyundai has an excellent reputation for reliability which is approaching Toyota levels. My wife has a 7 year old Hyundai which by a country mile is the most reliable car we have ever owned at any time. Meanwhile Merc and BMW are becoming known for selling stunningly expensive cars which start falling to bits after a few years requiring extremely expensive repairs.
Lol, really? (Score:2)
"Nissan Says 'Not in Talks with Apple' Over Autonomous Car Project"
Pretty sure this means "We're definitely talking but we don't want to admit it yet."
Who wants to be effective OEM for the apple brand? (Score:3, Interesting)
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One, I question whether a dud affects a whole brand (like Chevy) or a model (like Nova). Two, I'd imagine the Apple brand is far more valuable than Kia's or even Nissan's. Three, it comes with billions of Apple dollars. Unless you are a major, major company it seems like a no brainer to partner with Apple.
Re: Who wants to be effective OEM for the apple br (Score:2)
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I'd imagine they're talking to everyone and want a second tier partner because they'll get a better deal from someone who needs them more. Because Kia, for example, produces an okay car but it's squarely in the economy market.
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Too bad Nissan pissed it all away. Renault purchased Nissan and did cost-cutting to the point where corners are being cut, which is why all late model Nissans are basically disasters on wheels. Basically quality wise, they aren't much above FCA or whoever they are now Pre-Renault Nissan was decent, post-Renault forget about it.
It's probably a face saving move on Nissan's part because Apple likely turned them down for such poor quality vehicles - it's easier to say "We turned down Apple" than "Apple turned
Who will be the AT&T of the iCar? (Score:2)
Remember when the iPhone first came out? You could only get it on AT&T. My guess is that Apple is pitching technology to the different car companies to be the first powered by Apple with the longer term goal of putting the technology into multiple platforms. Of course, the first iPhone didn't have 3G so I'm also wondering if the first iCar will be hampered in some way too. Perhaps no highway driving or you can only use it where 5G networking exists.
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The first iPhone didn't have 3G, but in 2007 there wasn't a lot of 3G to be had, most EDGE and 3G phones used the exact same protocols in the wild.
If anything, I'd imagine the first iCars will use Bluetooth/Lightening to connect to your iPhone and use that Cellular connection. And the new iPhones support 5G.
Apple not talking to DMC either (Score:2)
Today, the Duesenberg Motor Company announced that Apple have not approached them to make the Apple Car.
They keep denying it... (Score:2)
What the "editors" have made of Slashdot (Score:1)
News for people who wonder on a daily basis who Apple are not making a car with. Stuff that matters. To Monsieur Smash.
Too Bad They Both Can't Lose (Score:2)
Nissan has tried to bully [digest.com] Uzi Nissan for decades over nissan.com [nissan.com].
Apple has lobbied against [washingtonpost.com] a slave labor bill in Congress
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Good luck with that, it's never happened since the invention of chariots.
If Apple Is Pursuing These Manufacturers (Score:3)
If any of the above is true, it wouldn't surprise me at all that car companies would not be interested. I also wouldn't expect any of that to dissuade Apple as they only need to convince one car company to agree to their terms and then the can tighten the screws on them over time.
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It it's true that Apple is pursuing these manufacturers and they're all turning down Apple, then that means that companies are waking up to what it's like to do business with Apple. I can imagine Apple demanding the following from the car manufacturers:
All of the above are correct. But the most important that has been reported lately is the loss of branding. Any car company that is willing to manufacture for Apple would find exclusively Apple branding on the car. This effective relegates that manufacturer to Foxconn status, which aside from the loss of respect and stature would also lead to a loss of negotiating power, with the accompanying financial disadvantages. Only desperate car companies would be willing to consider this power imbalance, and suc
Re: If Apple Is Pursuing These Manufacturers (Score:1)