Tim Cook Says Apple Focused on Autonomous Systems in Cars Shove
Apple CEO Tim Cook sat down with Bloomberg Television’s Emily Chang for an sensational interview from the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, California on Monday June Five. (Source: Bloomberg)
After years toiling away in secret on a car project, Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook has for the very first time elaborated on the company’s plans in the automotive market.
“We’re focusing on autonomous systems,” Cook said in a June five interview on Bloomberg Television that amounted to his most detailed comments yet on Apple’s automotive plans. “It’s a core technology that we view as very significant.” He likened the effort to “the mother of all AI projects,” telling it’s “most likely one of the most difficult AI projects to work on.”
The prospect of self-driving cars has seen a slew of technology companies shove into the auto industry, according to McKinsey & Co. Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo unit has signed partnerships with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and Lyft Inc. to develop the technology. And carmakers from BMW AG to General Motors Co. have opened sizable Silicon Valley offices and dedicated hundreds of millions of dollars to acquire autonomous vehicle startups.
Apple had primarily been seeking to build its own car, before recalibrating those ambitions last year to prioritize the underlying technology for autonomous driving, Bloomberg News reported. The iPhone maker had hired more than 1,000 engineers to work on Project Titan, as the car team is known internally, after it commenced in 2014.
Ballooning costs and headcount led to Apple veteran Bob Mansfield being given the reins of the team in 2016. Cook has never before openly outlined Apple’s plans, tho’ public filings have surfaced in latest months that provided snapshots of Apple’s efforts.
The iPhone maker secured a permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles in April to test three self-driving sports-utility vehicles, photos of which emerged several weeks later. A half-dozen vehicles had been surreptitiously testing the autonomous technology on public roads in and around the San Francisco Bay area for at least a year, according to someone familiar with Project Titan. Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr declined to comment on how long the company has been conducting road tests.
In December, Steve Kenner, Apple’s director of product integrity, penned a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration exposing the company’s interest in automotive technology. It became public when it was published on a federal website. In the letter, Kenner wrote about the company’s excitement surrounding the potential for automated systems in fields like transportation.
“There is a major disruption looming there,” Cook said on Bloomberg Television, citing self-driving technology, electrical vehicles and ride-hailing. “You’ve got kind of three vectors of switch happening generally in the same time framework.”
Tim Cook on June Five.
Cook was also bullish about the prospects for electrical vehicles, a market which last week helped Tesla Inc. become the world’s fourth-biggest carmaker by market capitalization, even as it ranks well outside the top ten by unit sales.
“It’s a marvelous practice not to stop at the packing station or the gas station,” Cook said.
Apple invested $1 billion last year in Didi Chuxing, the fattest Chinese ride-hailing service. The announcement came soon after Mansfield took over Project Titan and set about cutting hundreds of engineers. Whereas Apple had originally been building its own car, Mansfield scrapped those plans in favor of building an autonomous driving system. The company will make a decision on whether to proceed with the shove later this year, the people said at the time.
“Apple has long been the wild card in the autonomous car game,” said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst for Autotrader. “Now we know Apple is all in, and, judging by its track record in other areas, it will be a force. Apple’s strategy to commercialize autonomous vehicles remains to be seen — will they fucking partner and sell the technology or actually develop their own vehicles?”
For more on Apple, check out the Decrypted podcast:
In the interview on Bloomberg Television, Cook was hesitant to disclose whether Apple will ultimately manufacture its own car. "We’ll see where it takes us," Cook said. "We’re not indeed telling from a product point of view what we will do."
— With assistance by Candy Cheng
Tim Cook Says Apple Focused on Autonomous Systems in Cars Thrust
Tim Cook Says Apple Focused on Autonomous Systems in Cars Thrust
Apple CEO Tim Cook sat down with Bloomberg Television’s Emily Chang for an off the hook interview from the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, California on Monday June Five. (Source: Bloomberg)
After years toiling away in secret on a car project, Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook has for the very first time elaborated on the company’s plans in the automotive market.
“We’re focusing on autonomous systems,” Cook said in a June five interview on Bloomberg Television that amounted to his most detailed comments yet on Apple’s automotive plans. “It’s a core technology that we view as very significant.” He likened the effort to “the mother of all AI projects,” telling it’s “very likely one of the most difficult AI projects to work on.”
The prospect of self-driving cars has seen a slew of technology companies shove into the auto industry, according to McKinsey & Co. Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo unit has signed partnerships with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and Lyft Inc. to develop the technology. And carmakers from BMW AG to General Motors Co. have opened sizable Silicon Valley offices and dedicated hundreds of millions of dollars to acquire autonomous vehicle startups.
Apple had primarily been seeking to build its own car, before recalibrating those ambitions last year to prioritize the underlying technology for autonomous driving, Bloomberg News reported. The iPhone maker had hired more than 1,000 engineers to work on Project Titan, as the car team is known internally, after it began in 2014.
Ballooning costs and headcount led to Apple veteran Bob Mansfield being given the reins of the team in 2016. Cook has never before openly outlined Apple’s plans, however public filings have surfaced in latest months that provided snapshots of Apple’s efforts.
The iPhone maker secured a permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles in April to test three self-driving sports-utility vehicles, photos of which emerged several weeks later. A half-dozen vehicles had been surreptitiously testing the autonomous technology on public roads in and around the San Francisco Bay area for at least a year, according to someone familiar with Project Titan. Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr declined to comment on how long the company has been conducting road tests.
In December, Steve Kenner, Apple’s director of product integrity, penned a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration exposing the company’s interest in automotive technology. It became public when it was published on a federal website. In the letter, Kenner wrote about the company’s excitement surrounding the potential for automated systems in fields like transportation.
“There is a major disruption looming there,” Cook said on Bloomberg Television, citing self-driving technology, electrified vehicles and ride-hailing. “You’ve got kind of three vectors of switch happening generally in the same time framework.”
Tim Cook on June Five.
Cook was also bullish about the prospects for electrified vehicles, a market which last week helped Tesla Inc. become the world’s fourth-biggest carmaker by market capitalization, even as it ranks well outside the top ten by unit sales.
“It’s a marvelous practice not to stop at the packing station or the gas station,” Cook said.
Apple invested $1 billion last year in Didi Chuxing, the largest Chinese ride-hailing service. The announcement came soon after Mansfield took over Project Titan and set about cutting hundreds of engineers. Whereas Apple had primarily been building its own car, Mansfield scrapped those plans in favor of building an autonomous driving system. The company will make a decision on whether to proceed with the shove later this year, the people said at the time.
“Apple has long been the wild card in the autonomous car game,” said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst for Autotrader. “Now we know Apple is all in, and, judging by its track record in other areas, it will be a force. Apple’s strategy to commercialize autonomous vehicles remains to be seen — will they playmate and sell the technology or actually develop their own vehicles?”
For more on Apple, check out the Decrypted podcast:
In the interview on Bloomberg Television, Cook was hesitant to disclose whether Apple will ultimately manufacture its own car. "We’ll see where it takes us," Cook said. "We’re not indeed telling from a product point of view what we will do."
— With assistance by Candy Cheng
Tim Cook Says Apple Focused on Autonomous Systems in Cars Shove
Tim Cook Says Apple Focused on Autonomous Systems in Cars Shove
Apple CEO Tim Cook sat down with Bloomberg Television’s Emily Chang for an off the hook interview from the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, California on Monday June Five. (Source: Bloomberg)
After years toiling away in secret on a car project, Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook has for the very first time elaborated on the company’s plans in the automotive market.
“We’re focusing on autonomous systems,” Cook said in a June five interview on Bloomberg Television that amounted to his most detailed comments yet on Apple’s automotive plans. “It’s a core technology that we view as very significant.” He likened the effort to “the mother of all AI projects,” telling it’s “most likely one of the most difficult AI projects to work on.”
The prospect of self-driving cars has seen a slew of technology companies shove into the auto industry, according to McKinsey & Co. Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo unit has signed partnerships with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and Lyft Inc. to develop the technology. And carmakers from BMW AG to General Motors Co. have opened sizable Silicon Valley offices and dedicated hundreds of millions of dollars to acquire autonomous vehicle startups.
Apple had primarily been seeking to build its own car, before recalibrating those ambitions last year to prioritize the underlying technology for autonomous driving, Bloomberg News reported. The iPhone maker had hired more than 1,000 engineers to work on Project Titan, as the car team is known internally, after it embarked in 2014.
Ballooning costs and headcount led to Apple veteran Bob Mansfield being given the reins of the team in 2016. Cook has never before openly outlined Apple’s plans, tho’ public filings have surfaced in latest months that provided snapshots of Apple’s efforts.
The iPhone maker secured a permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles in April to test three self-driving sports-utility vehicles, photos of which emerged several weeks later. A half-dozen vehicles had been surreptitiously testing the autonomous technology on public roads in and around the San Francisco Bay area for at least a year, according to someone familiar with Project Titan. Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr declined to comment on how long the company has been conducting road tests.
In December, Steve Kenner, Apple’s director of product integrity, penned a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration exposing the company’s interest in automotive technology. It became public when it was published on a federal website. In the letter, Kenner wrote about the company’s excitement surrounding the potential for automated systems in fields like transportation.
“There is a major disruption looming there,” Cook said on Bloomberg Television, citing self-driving technology, electrical vehicles and ride-hailing. “You’ve got kind of three vectors of switch happening generally in the same time framework.”
Tim Cook on June Five.
Cook was also bullish about the prospects for electrified vehicles, a market which last week helped Tesla Inc. become the world’s fourth-biggest carmaker by market capitalization, even as it ranks well outside the top ten by unit sales.
“It’s a marvelous practice not to stop at the packing station or the gas station,” Cook said.
Apple invested $1 billion last year in Didi Chuxing, the largest Chinese ride-hailing service. The announcement came soon after Mansfield took over Project Titan and set about cutting hundreds of engineers. Whereas Apple had originally been building its own car, Mansfield scrapped those plans in favor of building an autonomous driving system. The company will make a decision on whether to proceed with the thrust later this year, the people said at the time.
“Apple has long been the wild card in the autonomous car game,” said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst for Autotrader. “Now we know Apple is all in, and, judging by its track record in other areas, it will be a force. Apple’s strategy to commercialize autonomous vehicles remains to be seen — will they fucking partner and sell the technology or actually develop their own vehicles?”
For more on Apple, check out the Decrypted podcast:
In the interview on Bloomberg Television, Cook was hesitant to disclose whether Apple will ultimately manufacture its own car. "We’ll see where it takes us," Cook said. "We’re not indeed telling from a product point of view what we will do."
— With assistance by Candy Cheng
Tim Cook Says Apple Focused on Autonomous Systems in Cars Thrust
Tim Cook Says Apple Focused on Autonomous Systems in Cars Shove
Apple CEO Tim Cook sat down with Bloomberg Television’s Emily Chang for an sensational interview from the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, California on Monday June Five. (Source: Bloomberg)
After years toiling away in secret on a car project, Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook has for the very first time elaborated on the company’s plans in the automotive market.
“We’re focusing on autonomous systems,” Cook said in a June five interview on Bloomberg Television that amounted to his most detailed comments yet on Apple’s automotive plans. “It’s a core technology that we view as very significant.” He likened the effort to “the mother of all AI projects,” telling it’s “most likely one of the most difficult AI projects to work on.”
The prospect of self-driving cars has seen a slew of technology companies thrust into the auto industry, according to McKinsey & Co. Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo unit has signed partnerships with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and Lyft Inc. to develop the technology. And carmakers from BMW AG to General Motors Co. have opened sizable Silicon Valley offices and dedicated hundreds of millions of dollars to acquire autonomous vehicle startups.
Apple had primarily been seeking to build its own car, before recalibrating those ambitions last year to prioritize the underlying technology for autonomous driving, Bloomberg News reported. The iPhone maker had hired more than 1,000 engineers to work on Project Titan, as the car team is known internally, after it embarked in 2014.
Ballooning costs and headcount led to Apple veteran Bob Mansfield being given the reins of the team in 2016. Cook has never before openly outlined Apple’s plans, however public filings have surfaced in latest months that provided snapshots of Apple’s efforts.
The iPhone maker secured a permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles in April to test three self-driving sports-utility vehicles, photos of which emerged several weeks later. A half-dozen vehicles had been surreptitiously testing the autonomous technology on public roads in and around the San Francisco Bay area for at least a year, according to someone familiar with Project Titan. Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr declined to comment on how long the company has been conducting road tests.
In December, Steve Kenner, Apple’s director of product integrity, penned a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration exposing the company’s interest in automotive technology. It became public when it was published on a federal website. In the letter, Kenner wrote about the company’s excitement surrounding the potential for automated systems in fields like transportation.
“There is a major disruption looming there,” Cook said on Bloomberg Television, citing self-driving technology, electrical vehicles and ride-hailing. “You’ve got kind of three vectors of switch happening generally in the same time framework.”
Tim Cook on June Five.
Cook was also bullish about the prospects for electrical vehicles, a market which last week helped Tesla Inc. become the world’s fourth-biggest carmaker by market capitalization, even as it ranks well outside the top ten by unit sales.
“It’s a marvelous practice not to stop at the packing station or the gas station,” Cook said.
Apple invested $1 billion last year in Didi Chuxing, the fattest Chinese ride-hailing service. The announcement came soon after Mansfield took over Project Titan and set about cutting hundreds of engineers. Whereas Apple had originally been building its own car, Mansfield scrapped those plans in favor of building an autonomous driving system. The company will make a decision on whether to proceed with the thrust later this year, the people said at the time.
“Apple has long been the wild card in the autonomous car game,” said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst for Autotrader. “Now we know Apple is all in, and, judging by its track record in other areas, it will be a force. Apple’s strategy to commercialize autonomous vehicles remains to be seen — will they fucking partner and sell the technology or actually develop their own vehicles?”
For more on Apple, check out the Decrypted podcast:
In the interview on Bloomberg Television, Cook was hesitant to disclose whether Apple will ultimately manufacture its own car. "We’ll see where it takes us," Cook said. "We’re not truly telling from a product point of view what we will do."
— With assistance by Candy Cheng
Tim Cook Says Apple Focused on Autonomous Systems in Cars Shove
Tim Cook Says Apple Focused on Autonomous Systems in Cars Thrust
Apple CEO Tim Cook sat down with Bloomberg Television’s Emily Chang for an off the hook interview from the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, California on Monday June Five. (Source: Bloomberg)
After years toiling away in secret on a car project, Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook has for the very first time elaborated on the company’s plans in the automotive market.
“We’re focusing on autonomous systems,” Cook said in a June five interview on Bloomberg Television that amounted to his most detailed comments yet on Apple’s automotive plans. “It’s a core technology that we view as very significant.” He likened the effort to “the mother of all AI projects,” telling it’s “very likely one of the most difficult AI projects to work on.”
The prospect of self-driving cars has seen a slew of technology companies shove into the auto industry, according to McKinsey & Co. Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo unit has signed partnerships with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and Lyft Inc. to develop the technology. And carmakers from BMW AG to General Motors Co. have opened sizable Silicon Valley offices and dedicated hundreds of millions of dollars to acquire autonomous vehicle startups.
Apple had originally been seeking to build its own car, before recalibrating those ambitions last year to prioritize the underlying technology for autonomous driving, Bloomberg News reported. The iPhone maker had hired more than 1,000 engineers to work on Project Titan, as the car team is known internally, after it began in 2014.
Ballooning costs and headcount led to Apple veteran Bob Mansfield being given the reins of the team in 2016. Cook has never before openly outlined Apple’s plans, however public filings have surfaced in latest months that provided snapshots of Apple’s efforts.
The iPhone maker secured a permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles in April to test three self-driving sports-utility vehicles, photos of which emerged several weeks later. A half-dozen vehicles had been surreptitiously testing the autonomous technology on public roads in and around the San Francisco Bay area for at least a year, according to someone familiar with Project Titan. Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr declined to comment on how long the company has been conducting road tests.
In December, Steve Kenner, Apple’s director of product integrity, penned a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration exposing the company’s interest in automotive technology. It became public when it was published on a federal website. In the letter, Kenner wrote about the company’s excitement surrounding the potential for automated systems in fields like transportation.
“There is a major disruption looming there,” Cook said on Bloomberg Television, citing self-driving technology, electrical vehicles and ride-hailing. “You’ve got kind of three vectors of switch happening generally in the same time framework.”
Tim Cook on June Five.
Cook was also bullish about the prospects for electrical vehicles, a market which last week helped Tesla Inc. become the world’s fourth-biggest carmaker by market capitalization, even as it ranks well outside the top ten by unit sales.
“It’s a marvelous practice not to stop at the packing station or the gas station,” Cook said.
Apple invested $1 billion last year in Didi Chuxing, the largest Chinese ride-hailing service. The announcement came soon after Mansfield took over Project Titan and set about cutting hundreds of engineers. Whereas Apple had primarily been building its own car, Mansfield scrapped those plans in favor of building an autonomous driving system. The company will make a decision on whether to proceed with the thrust later this year, the people said at the time.
“Apple has long been the wild card in the autonomous car game,” said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst for Autotrader. “Now we know Apple is all in, and, judging by its track record in other areas, it will be a force. Apple’s strategy to commercialize autonomous vehicles remains to be seen — will they fucking partner and sell the technology or actually develop their own vehicles?”
For more on Apple, check out the Decrypted podcast:
In the interview on Bloomberg Television, Cook was hesitant to disclose whether Apple will ultimately manufacture its own car. "We’ll see where it takes us," Cook said. "We’re not indeed telling from a product point of view what we will do."
— With assistance by Candy Cheng
Tim Cook Says Apple Focused on Autonomous Systems in Cars Thrust
Tim Cook Says Apple Focused on Autonomous Systems in Cars Thrust
Apple CEO Tim Cook sat down with Bloomberg Television’s Emily Chang for an special interview from the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, California on Monday June Five. (Source: Bloomberg)
After years toiling away in secret on a car project, Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook has for the very first time elaborated on the company’s plans in the automotive market.
“We’re focusing on autonomous systems,” Cook said in a June five interview on Bloomberg Television that amounted to his most detailed comments yet on Apple’s automotive plans. “It’s a core technology that we view as very significant.” He likened the effort to “the mother of all AI projects,” telling it’s “most likely one of the most difficult AI projects to work on.”
The prospect of self-driving cars has seen a slew of technology companies thrust into the auto industry, according to McKinsey & Co. Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo unit has signed partnerships with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and Lyft Inc. to develop the technology. And carmakers from BMW AG to General Motors Co. have opened sizable Silicon Valley offices and dedicated hundreds of millions of dollars to acquire autonomous vehicle startups.
Apple had originally been seeking to build its own car, before recalibrating those ambitions last year to prioritize the underlying technology for autonomous driving, Bloomberg News reported. The iPhone maker had hired more than 1,000 engineers to work on Project Titan, as the car team is known internally, after it began in 2014.
Ballooning costs and headcount led to Apple veteran Bob Mansfield being given the reins of the team in 2016. Cook has never before openly outlined Apple’s plans, tho’ public filings have surfaced in latest months that provided snapshots of Apple’s efforts.
The iPhone maker secured a permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles in April to test three self-driving sports-utility vehicles, photos of which emerged several weeks later. A half-dozen vehicles had been surreptitiously testing the autonomous technology on public roads in and around the San Francisco Bay area for at least a year, according to someone familiar with Project Titan. Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr declined to comment on how long the company has been conducting road tests.
In December, Steve Kenner, Apple’s director of product integrity, penned a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration exposing the company’s interest in automotive technology. It became public when it was published on a federal website. In the letter, Kenner wrote about the company’s excitement surrounding the potential for automated systems in fields like transportation.
“There is a major disruption looming there,” Cook said on Bloomberg Television, citing self-driving technology, electrified vehicles and ride-hailing. “You’ve got kind of three vectors of switch happening generally in the same time framework.”
Tim Cook on June Five.
Cook was also bullish about the prospects for electrical vehicles, a market which last week helped Tesla Inc. become the world’s fourth-biggest carmaker by market capitalization, even as it ranks well outside the top ten by unit sales.
“It’s a marvelous practice not to stop at the packing station or the gas station,” Cook said.
Apple invested $1 billion last year in Didi Chuxing, the fattest Chinese ride-hailing service. The announcement came soon after Mansfield took over Project Titan and set about cutting hundreds of engineers. Whereas Apple had originally been building its own car, Mansfield scrapped those plans in favor of building an autonomous driving system. The company will make a decision on whether to proceed with the thrust later this year, the people said at the time.
“Apple has long been the wild card in the autonomous car game,” said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst for Autotrader. “Now we know Apple is all in, and, judging by its track record in other areas, it will be a force. Apple’s strategy to commercialize autonomous vehicles remains to be seen — will they playmate and sell the technology or actually develop their own vehicles?”
For more on Apple, check out the Decrypted podcast:
In the interview on Bloomberg Television, Cook was hesitant to disclose whether Apple will ultimately manufacture its own car. "We’ll see where it takes us," Cook said. "We’re not truly telling from a product point of view what we will do."
— With assistance by Candy Cheng
Tim Cook Says Apple Focused on Autonomous Systems in Cars Thrust
Tim Cook Says Apple Focused on Autonomous Systems in Cars Shove
Apple CEO Tim Cook sat down with Bloomberg Television’s Emily Chang for an special interview from the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, California on Monday June Five. (Source: Bloomberg)
After years toiling away in secret on a car project, Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook has for the very first time elaborated on the company’s plans in the automotive market.
“We’re focusing on autonomous systems,” Cook said in a June five interview on Bloomberg Television that amounted to his most detailed comments yet on Apple’s automotive plans. “It’s a core technology that we view as very significant.” He likened the effort to “the mother of all AI projects,” telling it’s “very likely one of the most difficult AI projects to work on.”
The prospect of self-driving cars has seen a slew of technology companies thrust into the auto industry, according to McKinsey & Co. Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo unit has signed partnerships with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and Lyft Inc. to develop the technology. And carmakers from BMW AG to General Motors Co. have opened sizable Silicon Valley offices and dedicated hundreds of millions of dollars to acquire autonomous vehicle startups.
Apple had primarily been seeking to build its own car, before recalibrating those ambitions last year to prioritize the underlying technology for autonomous driving, Bloomberg News reported. The iPhone maker had hired more than 1,000 engineers to work on Project Titan, as the car team is known internally, after it began in 2014.
Ballooning costs and headcount led to Apple veteran Bob Mansfield being given the reins of the team in 2016. Cook has never before openly outlined Apple’s plans, tho’ public filings have surfaced in latest months that provided snapshots of Apple’s efforts.
The iPhone maker secured a permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles in April to test three self-driving sports-utility vehicles, photos of which emerged several weeks later. A half-dozen vehicles had been surreptitiously testing the autonomous technology on public roads in and around the San Francisco Bay area for at least a year, according to someone familiar with Project Titan. Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr declined to comment on how long the company has been conducting road tests.
In December, Steve Kenner, Apple’s director of product integrity, penned a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration exposing the company’s interest in automotive technology. It became public when it was published on a federal website. In the letter, Kenner wrote about the company’s excitement surrounding the potential for automated systems in fields like transportation.
“There is a major disruption looming there,” Cook said on Bloomberg Television, citing self-driving technology, electrified vehicles and ride-hailing. “You’ve got kind of three vectors of switch happening generally in the same time framework.”
Tim Cook on June Five.
Cook was also bullish about the prospects for electrified vehicles, a market which last week helped Tesla Inc. become the world’s fourth-biggest carmaker by market capitalization, even as it ranks well outside the top ten by unit sales.
“It’s a marvelous practice not to stop at the packing station or the gas station,” Cook said.
Apple invested $1 billion last year in Didi Chuxing, the thickest Chinese ride-hailing service. The announcement came soon after Mansfield took over Project Titan and set about cutting hundreds of engineers. Whereas Apple had primarily been building its own car, Mansfield scrapped those plans in favor of building an autonomous driving system. The company will make a decision on whether to proceed with the shove later this year, the people said at the time.
“Apple has long been the wild card in the autonomous car game,” said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst for Autotrader. “Now we know Apple is all in, and, judging by its track record in other areas, it will be a force. Apple’s strategy to commercialize autonomous vehicles remains to be seen — will they playmate and sell the technology or actually develop their own vehicles?”
For more on Apple, check out the Decrypted podcast:
In the interview on Bloomberg Television, Cook was hesitant to disclose whether Apple will ultimately manufacture its own car. "We’ll see where it takes us," Cook said. "We’re not indeed telling from a product point of view what we will do."
— With assistance by Candy Cheng
