Apple’s expertise in the marketing, technology, and user interface arenas is second to none, but in terms of building cars, the brand probably needs a little help. The Cupertino, California firm has allegedly been scouting automakers — BMW and Daimler most notably — to aid in the development of its rumored electric car for some time, but according to a report by Handelsblatt, those talks have ground to a halt.
BMW was the most discussed potential dance partner for Apple, as the two industry leaders have collaborated on smaller projects in the past. The platform of the all-electric i3 was heavily favored to underpin Apple’s automotive debut, and the company’s CEO, Tim Cook, reportedly visited BMW’s Leipzig factory in early 2015.
Discussions between the three have dissipated, however. Sources close to the matter claim that BMW and Daimler exited the talks over concerns about who would lead the project, and most importantly over which company would own the data. Wireless security and car hacking are hot-button issues in the industry right now, and apparently Apple’s desire to store vehicle data on the iCloud was a major point of contention.
Despite these developments, the Apple Car’s ties to Europe remain strong. Earlier this year, we reported that the company had established a “secret lab” in Berlin, Germany to develop the automobile, and although none of this has been confirmed, Canadian-Austrian vehicle engineering group Magna is now believed to be the frontrunner as Apple’s transportation auxiliary.
It’s not all bad news for the iCar, though. Apple welcomed Chris Porritt into its stable earlier this month, a notable acquisition due to Porritt’s experience as Tesla’s VP of Vehicle Engineering. The word on the street is that Porritt was brought on for “special projects,” but we all know what that means. To stay updated on Apple Car news and rumors, click here.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.