Apple's recent announcement that it will abandon its electric vehicle program has sparked widespread concern in the industry. Here's what people involved had to say:
Musk responded:
Tesla (TSLA.)US) CEO Elon Musk responded to the news of Apple's cancellation of the car with an expression of "salute" and "light a cigarette".
Lei Jun responded: Xiaomi Group (01810.)Lei Jun, chairman of the board of directors of HK), said he was shocked by the news that Apple had given up on building cars. Lei Jun said that Xiaomi's strategy is to build a "whole ecology of people, cars and homes", and made a firm strategic choice three years ago to create a good car for rice noodles.
Li Xiang responded: Li Auto (02015.)hk/li.US) CEO Li Xiang said on Weibo that Apple's decision to give up building cars and focus on artificial intelligence is a wise strategic choice and a decision at the right time.
He Xiaopeng responded:
He Xiaopeng, chairman of Xpeng Motors, said that it was discussed last year that new brands entering the automotive industry will launch products in 2024, but Apple is an exception. He said the competition will be more fierce after 2024.
Analyst's Perspective:
Sawyer Merrret, an electric vehicle analyst, said Apple spent 10 years trying to make electric cars with huge cash reserves, but ultimately came to the conclusion that it was too difficult and marginally small. Merrettt noted that Apple initially wanted to produce a fully self-driving car, but lacked fleet, real-world data, and relevant experience.
Apple's Project History:
Since 2014, Apple has launched the "Titan" car-making project, poaching core personnel from major companies, but the project has been repeatedly stalled due to unclear project direction and change of leaders. Eventually, Apple refocused its resources on generative AI projects.
Final decision: Apple's biggest achievement in the automotive industry right now is CarPlay software. Analysts believe that Apple's diversion of resources to the field of artificial intelligence is a wise strategic decision, as artificial intelligence has longer-term earning potential relative to cars.
Apple declined to comment. After the news was released, Apple's stock price fluctuated, but in the end, it fell by 081%。