Apple and Volkswagen Will Make a Self-Driving Car

[OJTheAviator]

(Volkswagen T6, the same VW model as the possible future Apple van, minus the modifications)

Apple is mostly known for their phones, tablets, and computers. However, now they are partnering with Volkswagen to make a self-driving transport vehicle for Apple employees. At first, Apple wanted to produce a car completely in-house but that plan was changed to a partnership with a traditional automaker:

Quote

In recent years, Apple sought partnerships with the luxury carmakers BMW and Mercedes-Benz to develop an all-electric self-driving vehicle, according to five people familiar with the negotiations who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. But on-again, off-again talks with those companies have ended after each rebuffed Apple’s requirements to hand over control of the data and design, some of the people said.

 

Similar problems were encountered in talks with the Japanese Nissan, Chinese BYD Auto, and British McLaren. Finally, Volkswagen agreed to work with Apple, possibly due to their trouble compared with rivals in developing a self-driving car. According to the New York Times and two former Apple employees:
 

Quote

Now, at a lab near Turin, Italy, run by a Volkswagen subsidiary called Italdesign, the companies plan to remake Volkswagen's T6 vans as electric self-driving shuttles, these people said. The frame, wheels and chassis of the T6 vans will remain, but Apple is replacing many components, including the dashboard and seats, said two people familiar with the project. Apple is also adding other computers, sensors and a large electric car battery, they said. The shuttles will ferry employees between two of Apple’s Silicon Valley campuses, and will include a driver behind the wheel to take control if needed, as well as an operator in the passenger’s seat tracking the van’s performance.

3

The issue with Apple entering the self-driving car space is this: Google's Waymo and Uber both have a head start and had more initial experience related to self-driving cars. Google has emerged as a software and AI giant, and at least Uber's business has always been cars. Apple has never made or worked closely with cars, and on the software side, most people^{3 4} find Siri on iPhones inferior to Google Assistant on Android. Volkswagen will cover the auto side, but can Apple, the creator of arguably 'elegant' and 'intuitive' products, and sometimes mechanically flawed⁵ devices, create a reliable and intelligent self-driving algorithm? I suppose we'll have to wait and see for Apple to give results.

 

Sources:

1. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/23/technology/apple-bmw-mercedes-volkswagen-driverless-cars.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fautomobiles&action=click&contentCollection=automobiles&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront&auth=login-smartlock&mtrref=jalopnik.com&gwh=0C2C9C184A0E3033649543576DC253BE&gwt=pay
2. https://jalopnik.com/apple-and-volkswagen-will-make-self-driving-shuttles-fo-1826286839
3. https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/930511-do-you-feel-siri-or-google-assistant-is-more-advanced/?tab=comments#comment-11376335
4. https://www.macworld.co.uk/feature/iosapps/siri-vs-google-assistant-3659249/
5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUaJ8pDlxi8

[Max_Settings]

Just for people who have some aversions to Volkswagen, remember they own Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley, and Bugatti. Hopefully some self driving tech will trickle down into these other brands.

[orbitalbuzzsaw]

The iCar, a self-driving VW bug, for a cool $3.2M.

 

/s

[Mooshi]

Hopefully it will have security developed by VW, don't want hackers getting access like they did to iCloud...

[Shreyas1]

 

43 minutes ago, OJTheAviator said:

 

wait it has windows...

[EG!]

34 minutes ago, Max_Settings said:

Just for people who have some aversions to Volkswagen, remember they own Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley, and Bugatti. Hopefully some self driving tech will trickle down into these other brands.

You forgot Skoda, Seat and Ducati but yes together with GM and Toyota they are the biggest car company so if they do something like this the others must follow.

40 minutes ago, OJTheAviator said:

The issue with Apple entering the self-driving car space is this: Google's Waymo and Uber both have a head start and had more initial experience related to self-driving cars. Google has emerged as a software and AI giant, and at least Uber's business has always been cars.

Uber uses Volvo cars for their selfdriven cars on the other hand Google even has a massive head start.

41 minutes ago, OJTheAviator said:

Apple has never made or worked closely with cars, and on the software side, most people find Siri on iPhones inferior to Google Assistant on Android. Volkswagen will cover the auto side, but can Apple, the creator of arguably 'elegant' and 'intuitive' products, and sometimes mechanically flawed⁵ devices, create a reliable and intelligent self-driving algorithm?

Volvo and Google are working together to run Android native on the latest Volvo XC40, so that would mean we could run android apps in our car (a better version of Android Auto)

I use Android Auto to run Google maps or Waze on the screen of my VW Golf and it's great except I have to plug my phone in my car via usb which takes too long.

Apple's Siri and maps are not even close to Google so I wonder if the Apple sheep will buy cars just based on the fact that apple was involved with the production.

[Pretzel4000]

So does this mean Linus has won his bet?

[OJTheAviator]

4 minutes ago, Shreyas1 said:

 

wait it has windows...

It would be kinda hard for Apple to convince their employees to ride around in a van with no windows that drives itself... lol

[DrMacintosh]

I'm all for Self Driving cars. 

 

The only thing I have issue is failure of key automation systems while in operation, but that is what the driver is for after all. 

 

Self Driving cars are always going to be safer than humans on the road. No matter how good of a driver you are, you are at the mercy of everyone else's driving. I don't know about you, but I don't have much confidence in everyone else......

 

Whoever is making them, I just want more electric and self driving cars on the road. They are greener and safer, and everyone wins. 

Spoiler

Not the gas companies though...but who cares about them anyway?  

 

[orbitalbuzzsaw]

omg i just realized it has windows. dual os by default

 

/s

[AskTJ]

Apple getting out of its shell with iPhones, iPads and Macs. iCar is the future my friends.

[MoonSpot]

So this is what it looks like if Cyril Sneer and Mr.Grinch have a baby.  Yikes!

Only thing that comes to mind with this news are lyrics from Iron Maiden's 'Run To The Hills'.

[blu4]

DAS. AUTO.

[bcredeur97]

that vw bus concept seems like it *could* be a good appley car

 

[Taf the Ghost]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DARPA_Grand_Challenge_(2005)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DARPA_Grand_Challenge_(2007)

 

VW did help Stanford with their Grand Challenge team. Which won the Desert challenge and came in 2nd in the Urban challenge. 

[D13H4RD]

Wait

 

Apple and VW teams up to make a self-driving car

Audi is developing a self-driving car

Audi is a VW subsidiary

 

6_9

[dtaflorida]

4 hours ago, bcredeur97 said:

that vw bus concept seems like it *could* be a good appley car

The exterior would be all glass, and your iphone would replace the key fob. And everyone would be in an uproar about not having stand alone keys.

[MoonSpot]

4 hours ago, bcredeur97 said:

that vw bus concept seems like it *could* be a good appley car

 

Nice picture, really tugs on those advertisers strings.  Problem is can't use apple anything in direct sunlight for extended periods.

 

[Ryujin2003]

Sounds like one of the first AI cars that will lie about it's emissions, battery issues after a year, only serviceable by the Genius, and have absolutely ZERO transparency.
And considering both Apple and VW, it'll be recognized and have everything Fanboys love...

 

Match made in freaking heaven.

 

[mynameisjuan]

Oh the amount of dongles you will probably need for this thing. 

[MoonSpot]

6 minutes ago, Ryujin2003 said:

... only serviceable by the Genius, and have absolutely ZERO transparency....

You're underestimating them.  Probably won't even able to rotate tires without taking the vehicle to the dealers tech support and having them ship away the vehicle to their centralized sweatshop because they used unique patented rivets instead of normal tire hub nuts and bolts, and even get laws changed to help them bend over customers.

Heaven help you if you get a flat tire.

[Ryujin2003]

34 minutes ago, MoonSpot said:

Heaven help you if you get a flat tire.

You didn't go to a VW AND Apple certified Firestone, your warranty is now void.

[MoonSpot]

12 minutes ago, Ryujin2003 said:

You didn't go to a VW AND Apple certified Firestone, your warranty is now void.

 

Shit.  They'd even void the warranty even if don't use their 'specially formulated' windshield washer fluid.  Not that I'd even expect an apples sale rep to know the difference between WWfluid, oil, and coolant at a hypothetical auto-apple store.

[Cheezdoodlez]

You: Hey Siri, break !!

Siri: hold on.... I'll honk when I'm ready.... 

*car crashes into a wall* 

Siri: here are some recipes for bread. 

[Kamjam21xx]

I will NEVER trust my life to anything apple is involved with. I dont wanna die any sooner than i have to.

 

Its not smart to trust apple.

Id go further by adding... its irrational to trust apple and any apple produce