Posted on 02/14/2015 4:07:50 AM PST by shove_it
The smoke surrounding rumors of an Apple-branded vehicle has begun to thicken, as a new report says that Apple is indeed working on an all-electric vehicle that would take the shape of a minivan, with a huge team tasked to the project.
Apple has given the project codename "Titan," according to the Wall Street Journal. The company is said to have "several hundred" employees working in the group.
Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly green-lighted the project almost a year ago, and company executives have already begun to meet with potential contract manufacturers, including Canadian firm Magna Steyr. Apple iPod and iPhone designer Steve Zadesky, formerly of Ford, is said to be running the project.
The team — which has its own development facility away from the main Infinite Loop campus — could eventually swell to some 1,000 employees, and Zadesky has been given free reign to pull talent from any existing Apple group. Zadesky's group is reportedly researching "robotics, metals and materials consistent with automobile manufacturing."
The Journal's report follows hours after a similar missive from the Financial Times, which revealed a "top-secret research lab" staffed with automotive executives. Among those who have made the move is former Mercedes-Benz R&D head Johann Jungwirth, who joined Apple as a Mac systems engineering leader last fall.
Apple design chief Jony Ive is believed to have been personally recruiting automotive executives. Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed earlier that Apple has tried "very hard" to poach engineers from the electric carmaker, offering $250,000 bonuses and 60 percent pay raises.
Rumors of an Apple-branded vehicle have been around for years, but began to gather steam when Apple was revealed as the company behind a fleet of mysterious sensor-laden vans which have appeared around the U.S. in recent months. Those vans, which are almost certainly designed for data collection to augment Apple's mapping service, are unlikely to be directly related to any potential vehicle project, which is likely years away from production.
As always, those without a cogent argument devolve to ad hominem attacks.
My degrees are in Economics, Finance, and Business Administration. What are yours in?
It is about materials, infrastructure, energy costs, regulations, and labor. It is NOT the simple thing you want it to be about.
So there is no down side in off shoring our manufacturing base? Right? It's all skiddles and unicorn farts.
Unless Apple has discovered something completely new about storing energy, that no other battery manufacture has figured out, or figured out how to do economically, this vehicle will have the exact same limitations that e-vehicles have, including limited range and quick drains in cold weather.
You really do not know what you are talking about. Really. Not a clue. Do you seriously think that ALL iDevices are sold in the United States? Better than 50% were sold overseas. Secondly, just in dollar value alone, an American factory worker would get at least five times what that Chinese worker gets before we add in benefits which usually are between 30-40% of wages. Sorry, but you are simply wrong. We are talking about 200,000 factory assembly jobs at best and those are being automated as we write these posts.
You are an anti US worker bigot. You want the US to be punished, like Obama. You two are the same in this regard.
And again you devolve to ad hominem attacks and insults. That means your arguments are bankrupt.
Yes, I think free trade is best. . . but so did our Founding fathers. . . between the states they decreed free trade. Not all of Marx's ideas were bad. Just most of them.
So you figure you'll get by on tireless repetition of talking points.
So why off shore a robotic factory? Are Asian robots more docile the US robots?
Still no answer to my question.
There are opinions, and there are opinions. Not all opinions are equal. Some are educated and some are ignorant. If you do your due diligence you might change your ignorant opinion to an educated one. But that's up to you. I really don't are when someone says they are not interested in learning the facts on an issue because they are so hidebound the facts don't matter.
Indeed.
No, it wasn't a talking point. I asked you to show me how these workers would have jobs if Apple was not building. You failed to do so. I repeated the challenge. You are still avoiding answering.
I know. You want me to prove a negative - something that you and I both know is going to be impossible to do, and it conveniently sidesteps the issue of the information being presented with the implication that these are full time, permanent jobs working for Apple. And you'll play that game all night.
Fanboy’s opinions matter the least.
As to educated opinions I am seriously questioning yours.
Does it really hurt your wee feelings so much if someone who has been working with computers since the 1970’s knows apple sucks?
Damn! I hope I didn’t ruin your Valentines Day.
Did I mention that apple sucks? If I didn’t I will.
Apple sucks. There I hope this is clear to you fella.
Oh, and to say someone is uneducated because of their opinion is retarded but two can play. What is your favorite color? As soon as you answer I’ll evaluate your level of education and let you know.
NO, I want you to show me that they would HAVE jobs absent Apple building. That's a positive. Show that there are jobs out there without Apple. Should be easy. Prove your assertion. Apple showed a positive. Show it is not. You made the assertion they had not created the jobs. The onus is on you.
No, that's your straw man claim. There are lots of downsides. The problem is you are directing your ire in the wrong direction. The environment here at home for business needs to change for the jobs to come home. Over regulation, litigious non-governmental organizations, and lax courts that stick their overly extensive controlling noses into areas they have no business that block the construction of plants and infrastructure after permits are obtained have to be addressed.
Okay, where do I get all of this free apple crap to evaluate as I am damn sure not going to spend a penny based on your opinion?
A phone number or email address will be fine.
You haven't asked a question worthy of an answer that I have not already answered.
“The environment here at home for business needs to change for the jobs to come home.”
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I strongly disagree.
America just needs to say it, and stop tolerating our own companies outsourcing everything American.
Bring back jobs to the USA.
Sooner or later the democrats are going to get this. I sincerely hope the Republicans, beat them to realizing this is exactly what America needs.
Jobs. Right here.
For Americans.
'Cause you're a liberal idiot.
You know nothing of the kind. I, however, know you are blowing smoke.
As someone who has owned a cross platform computer and business consulting business for 38 years, I have made an excellent living from fixing the problems that Windows machines have created for my clients over those years. I suspect I know a hell of a lot more about supporting both platforms than do you. My Mac runs SEVEN operating systems. In addition to the underlying UNIX™ and OS X.10 Yosemite, I run Windows XP, 7, and 8.1, as well as two versions of Linux in virtual machines. I have these in sandboxes on my Mac for the benefit of my clients to run their software and in case I need to run it to assist them with a problem they are having remotely. I also have several more virtual machines stored in files on my Mac for the same purpose in case I need them. I have run ALL SEVEN OF THOSE SIMULTANEOUSLY UNDER OS X ON MY MAC, just to see if the Mac could do it. . . so you cannot tell me that Macs suck. I doubt you could get any Windows machine out there to do that.
Frankly, you expose yourself as a single computer person who is totally unfamiliar with the Mac platform and, as such, is not qualified to know what you are talking about. Those of us who are multi-platform know which is superior. . . and it isn't Windows. Some of us DO have a qualified and educated opinion . . . and one that knows both platforms is more educated than one who does not.
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