More than a passing resemblance to the Lucid Air?

[Lucken]

This may be the eventual Apple Car that’s been rumored forever. Foxconn, the largest assembler of the IPhone, built the concept car. The front is an obvious copy of the Air and the profile seems to also have been inspired by the Air. You’ll need to watch the video to briefly see the car. This is a concept car, so who knows where it goes from here.

Apple’s iPhone Partner Foxconn Unveils First Electric Vehicles

Foxconn Technology Group unveiled its first electric vehicles, a milestone that could boost the Taiwanese electronics manufacturer’s credentials as a serious bidder for Apple Inc.’s secretive automotive project.

flip.it

 

[dawktah LucidGT]

I wonder how much market share Lucid could lose if this does become the Apple car? It looks so much like the Air I wonder if it shares the platform?

 

[Lucken]

I wonder how much market share Lucid could lose if this does become the Apple car? It looks so much like the Air I wonder if it shares the platform?

I think all BEVs will lose considerable market share if Apple actually turns this into a production vehicle. The Apple name alone has a magical impact on consumer spending and even though this would be a unique venture for them (as well as Foxconn), I think those in the market for a BEV would give an Apple car more than a passing glance.

The impact & danger is obviously far greater for startups like Lucid & Rivian.

 

[Rob Stark]

It seems Apple is working on itty bitty inner city robotaxi pods.

Not premium sedans,CUVs or SUVs.

20% of people love Apple,30% of people hate Apple, the rest are indifferent. Similar to Tesla.

In 2035 I doubt any company has more than 10% automotive market share.

There is plenty of space for Lucid,Rivian, and many other players.

 

[Lucken]

I would never underestimate the power of the Apple brand regardless of any love/hate stats. Their products are respected, ubiquitous and generally of high quality.

Remember it’s not so much Apple developing a luxury BEV, but it may well be their business partner, Foxconn Tech, doing the work. Foxconn would be more than happy to sell their luxury BEVs (assuming they truly venture into this arena) to Apple and others.

Don‘t be misled by the robotaxi pods. There are few companies in any industry that are better at keeping secrets as to future product development than Apple. For years I’ve watched industry analysts constantly get predictions wrong about the ‘next great thing’ from Apple.

In the end you may well be right (and I hope you are) about room for Lucid, Rivian and others, time will tell.

 

[Lucken]

Here’s another article that goes into a bit more depth on this possible venture:

Foxconn Just Revealed 3 New EVs Nobody Expected

Foxconn may be best known as the electronics manufacturer Apple relies on to build the iPhone, but the company is also previewing its automotive intentions…

www.slashgear.com

 

[Rob Stark]

I wouldn't overestimate the power of the Apple brand.

Macintosh TV,Pippin, Newton,G4 Cube,Antennagate,Bendgate,AirPower

Neither you nor I have a crystal ball.

No one knows for sure about the future of the automotive market.

I very much doubt Apple will have 80% of the profits with only 20% market share.

I wouldn't worry too much about it if I were Peter.

Prototypes are easy. Heavy industry mass production is hard. Very hard. Much more difficult than light industry. Like phones and electronics.

Tesla is a much more pressing concern.

 

[Lucken]

I agree we don’t have a crystal ball nor do we know the future of the automotive market. However again, it is not Apple building the car, it is potentially Foxconn. I can tell you are not an Apple fan () and that’s fine, but most of the failures you mentioned are in the past. The iPhone, iMac, Apple Watch, ATV, AirPods etc. are more indicative of Apple’s marketing skills. Love or hate them, you can’t argue with their success.

I never said Apple will have an 80% profit share, I too seriously doubt it. Now Peter may or may not be worrying about such things, but I’d say it would be foolish to not be aware of the potential of a powerhouse like Apple.

 

[Rob Stark]

I agree we don’t have a crystal ball nor do we know the future of the automotive market. However again, it is not Apple building the car, it is potentially Foxconn. I can tell you are not an Apple fan () and that’s fine, but most of the failures you mentioned are in the past. The iPhone, iMac, Apple Watch, ATV, AirPods etc. are more indicative of Apple’s marketing skills. Love or hate them, you can’t argue with their success.

I never said Apple will have an 80% profit share, I too seriously doubt it. Now Peter may or may not be worrying about such things, but I’d say it would be foolish to not be aware of the potential of a powerhouse like Apple.

Foxconn doesn't know sh!t about building a car. Their expertise is light industry. Phones and computers are not cars.

I can't show you examples of Apples failures from the future.

But I guarantee there will be.

I am not an Apple fan or anti-fan. All companies are made of people and people aren't perfect.

I can argue their success is mostly the Iphone. Profits from everything else is a small percentage.

I think it would be foolish to be paralyzed by fear of Apple.

 

[Lucken]

Foxconn doesn't know sh!t about building a car. Their expertise is light industry. Phones and computers are not cars.

I can't show you examples of Apples failures from the future.

But I guarantee there will be.

I am not an Apple fan or anti-fan. All companies are made of people and people aren't perfect.

I can argue their success is mostly the Iphone. Profits from everything else is a small percentage.

I think it would be foolish to be paralyzed by fear of Apple.

I guess we’ll find out, won’t we.

 

[hmp10]

Foxconn doesn't know sh!t about building a car. Their expertise is light industry. Phones and computers are not cars.

There is so much vacuous hype floating around about how cars are becoming rolling computers, how Tesla is really a software company, etc., that people are forgetting just how hideously complex a machine an automobile is and how infused it is with difficult trade-offs across multiple engineering disciplines.

It's worth noting that the only recent automotive startups, as least in the western world, that have put or are near putting EVs in the hands of customers are companies that are run by guys steeped in automotive engineering (Rivian and Tesla) or that hired such people actually to design and engineer the car (Tesla).

Every big mistake Tesla has made thus far in its design and manufacture originated with decisions made by the non-car guys (led by Elon Musk) in the organization: the lack of interior storage or basic amenities such as cupholders in its early cars; the debacle of over-robotizing the Model 3 production line; retreating from promises of range it cannot meet.

On the other hand, it was a non-car guy (Musk again) who saw what the automotive engineering world could not: long-range, powerful EVs can be powered by laptop batteries and don't have to wait for the battery breakthroughs that are always just a few years away. But without the "car guys", Musk, for all his vision, would ultimately have been left whistling in the wind.

 

[Dortreo]

It really is a Lucid clone: Foxconn EV

That is, until you see the interior, which looks like a Taiwanese horror show. (And I can say that, as I’m from there.) Like every misguided ideal of what a high tech interior should be. I see the interior and immediately feel the urge to go to my local KTV. It makes the EQS Hyperscreen look tasteful.

 

[Lucken]

It really is a Lucid clone: Foxconn EV

That is, until you see the interior, which looks like a Taiwanese horror show. (And I can say that, as I’m from there.) Like every misguided ideal of what a high tech interior should be. I see the interior and immediately feel the urge to go to my local KTV. It makes the EQS Hyperscreen look tasteful.

It's China, what else would we expect?

It's also amusing how poorly aligned the interior panels are.