Since 2014, there has been a lot of speculation about Apple's intention to enter the auto manufacturing industry. Although Apple has never responded positively, the issue has not stopped being discussed.
It was only recently that Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak finally untied this knot in an interview with foreign media. He made it clear that Apple has abandoned plans to develop its own brand of passenger cars, the Apple Car project"The car has been off the road for a long time"。
This statement is seen as a response and end to Apple's speculation and doubts from the outside world. Still, there are different opinions in the industry about the real reason why Apple abandoned the car. Some people think that the input-output ratio is too low, while others say that the technical and management barriers are too high.
There's no denying that Apple's decision to abandon the car was dramatic in itself. Because before that, there had been a scene around whether Apple was going to enter the camp of car companies"Action showdown drama"。
Soldiers are treacherous"Musk's aggressive strategy.
In October 2020, Tesla boss Elon Musk bombarded Apple in public, saying"They (Apple) can't really assemble a good team to build a new model. "At that time, news about Apple's secret development of electric vehicles was frequently exposed.
Musk's remarks were widely interpreted as hearsay"Apple Car"The purpose of the disparagement is to thwart Apple's development plans. Musk doesn't want a hard-powered company like Apple to enter the electric vehicle space.
He also added a cruel sentence:"If one day, they decide that they really want to get into this business, I will reconsider buying their company outright. "Although this kind of simple rhetoric is difficult to believe, it also reflects from the side that Apple's plan at that time did make Musk feel frightened and uneasy.
Why Musk's behavior is"Sophistry"This? This is the Chinese classical military strategist Sun Tzu"Soldiers can take land without blood"The ideas coincide. Through shock and psychological perturbation, he tries to strike before his competitors actually act"Surrender without a fight"effect.
In the face of Musk's aggressive attack, although Apple has never responded positively, since then, rumors and questions about Apple's abandoned car project have been heard endlessly. A terrorist attack successfully prevented Apple's dream of a passenger car from coming true.
Plagued by stubborn diseases"Car team"It ended dismally.
To explore the origin of the Apple Car project, we have to start from around 2014. At that time, Apple's translational window partner was approved to manufacture and assemble the flagship car described in Apple's official documents. However, since then, the mysterious silence and twists and turns of the situation have ignited a craze for speculation about the operation of the Apple Car project.
It is understood that Apple initially focused on developing an unmanned electric passenger car. At the beginning of 2015, Apple's board of directors officially approved the establishment"project titan"Task force. At one point, the team had more than 1,000 engineers and its cost increased from US$600 million in 2014 to US$3 billion in 2019.
However, due to technical and cost reasons, the entire project came to a standstill and changed hands several times. There are reports that"Car team"At one point, he was at risk of being laid off. Until recently, there was news that Apple was still quietly exploring automotive opportunities.
However, it is regrettable that, as Wozniak said, Apple has decided to abandon the development of its own brand of passenger cars, and the so-called Apple car is already a dead end. This ambitious plan, which took nearly 10 years and cost $3 billion, ended in a high-level internal decision-making.
**10,000 Fans Incentive Plan
Autonomy"Decisions under the strategic transformation.
While Wozniak's testimony is highly credible, the real reasons for Apple's decision to abandon the car are probably best known only to company insiders. Is it because the technical barriers are too high, or is there a lack of talent? Obviously, this is not an overnight decision.
However, judging from some details so far, problems such as uneven quality and weak profitability in the auto business may be part of the reason for Apple's love. According to reports, more than 170 new models sell less than 10,000 units a year, and the data is far more than Apple's once-questioned dominant product, the Apple Watch.
Compared with Apple's previous development path, the automotive industry does have some headwinds. Digital products such as mobile phones have a short life cycle and can be iterated quickly; However, the development and manufacturing cycle of automotive products is long, and the product iteration efficiency is slow.
In addition, Apple also tends to use advanced software technology to occupy the market high ground before the emergence of automotive products. This suggests that Apple's future strategic focus may shift to technology areas such as electric and driverless driving. It doesn't sound like I was going to do it in the first place"Manufactured under its own brand"。
It is not yesterday that the industry is optimistic about self-owned brand cars.
In fact, as early as a few years ago, the outside world was not optimistic about the future of Apple's car manufacturing. Many analysts believe that Apple may not eventually launch its own brand of cars. Because in the traditional manufacturing field of automobiles, Apple is almost a complete layman. The industry generally believes that Apple is more likely to take the lead in the field of software and hardware such as unmanned driving and operating systems.
Indeed, building a new car is a big challenge for Apple. Brand promotion, marketing channels, automotive safety regulations, cost control, chain management and many other thorny problems are all obstacles that need to be faced.
For a like Apple"Outsiders"It is indeed extremely difficult to enter the traditional manufacturing industry. Therefore, the abandonment plan may be just a reluctant move by Apple to settle for the next best thing and base itself on the direction of software technical support.
Undoubtedly, Apple's decision is destined to cause a lot of criticism from the outside world. But from an objective point of view, this may be the wisest choice at the moment. After all, there are already many heroes in the industry, and the competition is extremely fierce. As a latecomer, Apple clearly needs to be more cautious.
Moreover, even if it gives up the car-making plan, Apple can still take the lead in the field of automotive intelligent operating system and on-board environmental system in the future, and finally achieve coverage of the entire automotive technology industry chain. Isn't this exactly the development model that it has always been good at?
So, the Apple car"Abandon the car"It does not mean failure, but it is a strategic adjustment that can be planned for advance and retreat. With this retreat, Apple is expected to make a comeback at a more favorable time and regain its lead in the smart mobility revolution. After all, the tide of technological change has long arrived, and opportunities are undoubtedly everywhere.