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Apple is building a self-driving car in Silicon Valley, and is scouting for secure locations in the San Francisco Bay area to test it, the Guardian has learned. Documents show the oft-rumoured Apple car project appears to be further along than many suspected.
In May, engineers from Apple’s secretive Special Project group met with officials from GoMentum Station, a 2,100-acre former naval base near San Francisco that is being turned into a high-security testing ground for autonomous vehicles.
In correspondence obtained by the Guardian under a public records act request, Apple engineer Frank Fearon wrote: “We would ... like to get an understanding of timing and availability for the space, and how we would need to coordinate around other parties who would be using [it].”
Automobile manufacturing is a radical departure from Apple's core business. Can they pull it off?
Original Submission
(Score: 3, Funny) by Username on Saturday August 15 2015, @06:01PM
It will be unmodifiable, overpriced and highly acclaimed. Probably will require special tires and brake pads, only available from the apple store with special non standard bolts and screws to attach them. Most likely a huge success.
After the launch there will be a commercial where the apple car 2.0 is pictured speeding through snow while the autonomous google and tesla cars stop because their sensors freaked out. Then a hologram of Jobs will come on screen and tell us all about the future of travel, where those annoying autonomous car are taken out of the picture and frees us of their burden.
The new 2.0 cars will be an even bigger success than the original. Hipsters around the world would think manually driving your car is the biggest innovation in car history. One billion cars sold.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Saturday August 15 2015, @06:16PM
And each passenger will have to apply for and apple account before the car will allow them to enter. This to protect the Apple Car experience and the curated environment. NDAs and hold harmless agreements will be required.
Yeah, we get it, its easy to make jokes about this with any Apple product. You forgot the bit about it being The Best Thing Ever.
But Apple has the most free cash right now compared to other large companies.
Apple looks at this as just another piece of hardware they can manufacture in China, and add a layer of closed source software.
Somehow I doubt that you can do this with automobiles like you can with computers: Too many systems, too much liability.
Given the amount of research Apple has done on self driving cars (next to zero) I suspect much of this tech has been "borrowed" from others.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by Justin Case on Saturday August 15 2015, @06:24PM
You're both thinking too small.
It will only drive you to one of the now massive chain of Apple iStores (TM) and further will refuse to drive you back home until "the net" recognizes you've purchased an adequate supply of new shiny for this week.
Marketers have been ejaculating about "driving traffic to our storefront" since Web 1.0; you think they didn't really mean it, given the opportunity?
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 15 2015, @06:38PM
Given the amount of research Apple has done on self driving cars (next to zero) I suspect much of this tech has been "borrowed" from others.
Judging from the engineers they have poached from actual car manufacturers it also seems likely they are "borrowing" a lot of chassis and suspension technology. As someone else noted, there are many diverse systems to be integrated into a car and getting just one of them wrong could ruin the "riding" experience.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Saturday August 15 2015, @08:52PM
They couldn't be bothered to make their own iPhones, why would they make their own cars?
They will just contract that out to some Chinese/korean car manufacturer, and bolt on their electronics and sensor packages.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by tibman on Saturday August 15 2015, @06:39PM
You already have to apply for an [insert insurance company name] account before you can drive : )
SN won't survive on lurkers alone. Write comments.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Saturday August 15 2015, @07:24PM
But they don't make cars.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 3, Funny) by chewbacon on Sunday August 16 2015, @12:54AM
The charging cable will cost $15000 and will only be 3 feet long.