The world is on the edge of their seats waiting for the next big innovation by Apple, and rumors have been floating around about an Apple car, which has the car industry up in arms. No one seems to know if it is just a rumor or if Apple is really hiring engineers for an automotive project. Would it be that big of a surprise if the rumors were true? Apple never ceases to amaze the world. The question is, would an Apple vehicle hurt the business of the rest of the car industry?

Is Apple a threat to the car industry

Sales always fluctuate in every business, and maybe the Apple car will cause sales to go down for other car brands, but it is too early to really determine if Apple is an actual threat to the other brands. Some companies are naturally worried, but big name, Mercedes, has yet to express their fears about the new Apple car, and the industry wants to know why. According to Fortune, Dieter Zetsche, head of Mercedes-Benz does not fear the idea of an apple car because it is just another form of competition. He even went as far as stating that Apple would not be threatened if Mercedes started building smartphones. Companies plan on competition, and that is what makes an industry successful.

Healthy competition

Growing industries are great news for the country because it means more job availability. Popular companies such as Apple have the obligation to constantly come up with new products in order to remain popular, so Apple is just running like a good business. Competition is always threatening, but it also keeps companies on their toes and producing worthwhile products for consumers. The idea that the car industry could be making room for another big name like Apple is great news for car insurance agencies as well as it will likely boost their sales. Competition is what keeps businesses running, and a little fear does companies good because it lights the fire for them to deliver.

The right time to fear

The car industry should definitely feel the pressure to build business, because a new man in the game means less business coming their way. Companies need to take the rumors and run with them, generating new innovations and bringing in business. Let fear drive up the business.

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Source:
Mercedes' Top Exec Isn't Worried About the Apple Car - Fortune

Tags: cars, car technology, car insurance, mercedes cars, apple car, mercedes vs apple, car news

The other interesting article this past month was why Apple doesn't just buy Tesla for $26B, as they certainly have the cash.

First, Tesla's valuation is too high.

Second, Apple tends to acquire companies in much smaller outlays. Spending that much coin on Tesla would be a ten-fold increase over their largest prior purchase.

Finally, Apple's history of success in the tech market hasn't been through either innovating a new product field or buying out an existing technology. Their history has been to improve on an existing tech product segment and adding sufficient value to justify the premium prices it charges. The sole exception in recent history may be the purchase of Beats.

BlackBerry wasn't worried either.

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CENSORED due to not family friendly words

Apple?

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

Not looking forward to self-driving electric cars. They will make sprawl socially acceptable again and they'll likely track you wherever you go. Plus they'll come to your door to pick you up. No more walking for most Americans, making this country even more of a jiggling, sweaty blubber-fest. Can you say Wall-E? I KNEW YOU COULD!

F**K that idea. Hope the Apple car and similar start failing in spectacular ways, and the lawsuits start a flyin'. I'm becoming a disciple of NED LUDD in my old age!

Probably a gamble by apple on better battery technology coming down the road. Perhaps a good time to enter the field as well with so many manufacturers producing what I think of as questionable quality and durability at best.

I am at a total loss of why people purchase certain brands new with their past reliability issues. I actually feel sorry for them when following them down the road.

Although at the same time it takes the economy going at too high of an expense to them. They in most cases will have to buy another replacement too early. Some are so bad I would not keep them past the warranty period.

I know of several people still making payments on cars that they purchased new and are off the road at what to me are low overall total milages. Just too expensive to keep serviceable probably. Combined with little dependability.

My son in laws 2009 hyudai is a good example. Even though I still rate that car as being better than the old big three products in general. With very few exceptions. Yet far inferior to the better Japanese brands.

Unfortunatly if the apple cars rumour is true the cars production will probably be done in china. .

Remember when cars were just about driving around?

Having used a few Apple products at times, I don't think I'd be at all excited about a car built by them. OTOH, if Kawasaki set its motorcycle guys to building a car, that might be more interesting. I'm thinking something flyweight and rear mid-engine powered by something based on the ZX-10 or ZX-14 engine, or maybe make a 400 hp 2.0 V8 out of ZX-10 parts.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

Not really. Cars were about freedom to leave the house without worrying about bus schedules. It was a huge collection of mechanical bits, gears and explosions that intrigued a young mind. It was everyone's first karaoke bar.

Free use of the road infustructure probably made the car what it is today. Of course the road system is not really free and you use it at your own risk more or less.

Every car coming towards you represents a risk in general we never consider. You never know what is behind the wheel of those cars. Plus there have been hundreds of thousands of them if not millions over the years. Who counts?

I have driven long enough and far enough the odds of nothing happening steadily decrease. The good circumstance is living in a very low populated area compared to most with good highways. Plus always having the good circumstance of not being in the wrong place at the wrong time so far.

To remain accident free as long as I have is more a manner of good circumstance rather than driving skill.

Barry, what you have described are risk factors that exist in nearly every human endeavor or activity. When you eat at a restaurant or buy food at a grocery or farm stand . . . you risk contamination and illness from the source or the preparer. Etc.

While you may envision a world of random acts and unknowable circumstances, skill and the ability to apply skills to a given situation greatly increase one's likelihood of avoidance and/or survival of catastrophe.