Volkswagen CEO Skeptical About Apple Car, Believes in CarPlay-Only Approach
Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess is skeptical that Apple is planning to sell a physical vehicle and believes that the company is focusing on cockpit software instead (via Reuters).
Diess made the comments at the hub.berlin technology conference in Berlin, where Apple is also in attendance represented by its vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, Lisa Jackson. "I'm not sure if Apple will actually bring cars to the market in the end. It would be a big effort," he said, adding that he believes Apple will focus on car cockpit software instead.
The remarks come weeks after Apple unveiled a next-generation CarPlay experience at WWDC 2022, featuring support for multiple large displays, speedometers, fuel levels, climate controls, and more. Users will be able to personalize their in-car experience by choosing different gauge cluster designs and widgets, with the new version of CarPlay effectively offering a wholly Apple-designed experience for all of a car's displays and functions. While the new CarPlay experience is designed so that users never need to exit the system, Apple said that automakers will be able to retain a sense of brand identity with the new system.
Apple said the first vehicles to support the new CarPlay experience will be announced in late 2023. While Volkswagen is not among the automakers that have committed to implement it in new cars, two of the goliath automaker's sub-brands, Audi and Porsche, were included in Apple's list of initial supporters.
Apple has been rumored to be working on a self-driving electric vehicle for around eight years, but a series of development challenges have led to questions about when the project will be officially revealed, if ever. Earlier this year, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo warned that Apple's car team had "been dissolved for some time," and needed to be reorganized soon in order for mass production to begin by 2025.
Popular Stories
2024 is just a few days away, and there are many iOS 17 and iOS 18 features that are expected to launch throughout the year. Below, we have recapped new iOS features expected in 2024, including Stolen Device Protection, collaborative Apple Music playlists, AirPlay on hotel room TVs, app sideloading in the EU, next-generation CarPlay, roadside assistance via satellite outside of the U.S., RCS ...
Apple released the first beta of iOS 17.3 earlier this month, and the upcoming software update includes two new features so far. iOS 17.3 will likely be released in January like iOS 16.3 and iOS 15.3 were, but February is also a possibility if testing is prolonged. Below, we provide additional details about the new features in iOS 17.3 so far. Stolen Device Protection Earlier this...
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models concurrently, which is why we sometimes get rumored feature leaks so far ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and already we have some idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you plan to skip...
Inverse's Raymond Wong today published an in-depth overview of Apple's increasing push towards high-end gaming on the Mac. The story includes commentary from Apple marketing managers Gordon Keppel and Leland Martin. One of the biggest reasons that gaming has improved on the Mac in recent years is the switch from Intel processors to Apple silicon, resulting in MacBooks providing...
Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 are back in some of Apple's retail stores in the United States today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Select stores will have availability today, while all stores will have the Apple Watch models back in stock by December 30. Online sales of the devices are set to resume tomorrow by 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Apple is able to begin selling ...
Apple's iPhones include several headline camera features that are worth using, such as Portrait Mode and Photographic Styles. But if all you want to use is the standard photo mode, there are still several tools and settings that can improve the composition of your pictures and help you capture the perfect shot using more traditional techniques. Whether you are the owner of a new iPhone or a...
The ban on imports of Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 models has today been temporarily paused, meaning that the devices can now go back on sale for a short while longer in the United States. Apple filed an emergency request to the United States Court of Appeals following President Biden's decision to decline a veto on the sales ban, allowing it to take effect earlier this week. ...
Top Rated Comments
Still wish Apple would let you enable some versions of a CarPlay mode on your phone without having to physically be connected to a car that supports CarPlay. It would be much safer and easier when driving older vehicles, especially on ones that only have connection for audio. Most people are mounting their phone in the screen position anyway.
Apple already made iPods, computers, browsers, it was just a phone they hadn’t put to market before.
This is a whole car. The majority of the car is not going to be an element they’ve ever ventured in: car mechanics, physical comfort, ride handling, seat softness, etc. How many large car manufacturers make poorly handling cars? How long does it take well known car manufacturers to get the best version of a car to market?
This isn’t a walk in the park like an iPhone. Anyone who keeps trying to use that analogy are blind.