In the past two days, news has spread all over the world that Apple Car will be released next year. There seems to be no doubt about whether Apple will build a car. The facts revealed by all parties also prove that Apple has been doing one thing: sneaking into the village without firing a gun.
According to Reuters, technology giant Apple plans to launch a passenger car in 2024 that may contain its breakthrough battery technology. The new car may be released in September next year. Subsequently, key supply chain manufacturers also confirmed the news, and even the Apple Car prototype has been tested on the road in California, USA. Due to the demand for Apple Car stockings, major manufacturers such as Heda and Bizlian have been completely overwhelmed with orders.
When the news came out, all parties responded enthusiastically:
The first to bear the brunt was the stock market. On the 21st local time in the United States, when the news of Apple building a car spread, Tesla’s stock price fell by more than 6%, and the three major players, Weilai, Xiaopeng, and Lili Auto, have also been slightly affected.
The second is the car companies, colleagues said they are under great pressure. Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen and Chairman of the Global Management Board, said on social media that the entry of technology giants with heavy financial resources into the automotive industry will pose a greater challenge to Volkswagen than traditional competitors Toyota. He said: "Apple's incredible valuation and almost unlimited access to resources have also brought tremendous pressure to us."
The most exciting and lively thing is that netizens: Can you please give me an Apple car? Charging head? How many kidneys do I need to sell to buy an Apple car? ...
Through patents, imagine the future Apple? Car
Even though the news has spread all over the world, Apple has not officially announced any news, nor has it released any information about Apple? Car pictures. All the photos of Apple Car currently circulating on the Internet are fictitious.
However, through the car patents applied by Apple in recent years, it not only helps us make a judgment on "whether Apple can build a car", but also allows us to look forward to "what is an Apple car like?"
In 2020, Apple applied for a number of new patents:
One is a "detachable panel assembly", which is mainly used in the sunroof part of cars. In this patent, the skylight has a controllable variable translucency area that can be switched to transparent or opaque at any time.
Another patent titled "Appearance Integration of Displays" proposes combining the display with a cover so that it can be hidden as part of the overall design of the car.
Apple also applied for a new patent on a car motor, which is an induction asynchronous motor using squirrel cage motor technology, similar to Tesla's design. The main materials are steel and copper, which not only have low cost, but also have very low later maintenance costs, and are used by many car companies.
In fact, before this, Apple began to apply for automobile patents one after another starting in 2014.
In 2014, Apple launched the “Titan” plan focusing on the automotive field. However, Titan's progress is slow, and it is suspected that the focus is on the development of autonomous driving systems. But in 2019, Apple applied for several "Titan patents" that have nothing to do with autonomous driving:
Retractable car bumper system: The bumper is equipped with inflatable components that can be inflated and deflated. Let the bumper retract freely.
Passenger car door structure: Apple will use an externally hinged door to replace the door with pillars. Under this structure, the B-pillar of traditional cars will no longer exist. In addition, this door can also function as a window.
New chassis components: The size and thickness of the metal plates can be changed to meet different strength requirements. Energy-absorbing bags also protect the "battery floor" in the event of a car crash. The vehicle will also actively adjust the suspension according to current road conditions to keep the occupants in the vehicle comfortable at all times.
Once these patented technologies are implemented in the entire vehicle, it can be said that all of them are black technologies with subversive significance. Most of these black technologies are consistent with Apple's tone, focusing on the combination of design and practicality, giving people a pleasant visual and use experience.
After reading this, are you looking forward to it?
At the same time, if Apple does not build cars, why would Apple issue so many car patents?
Can AR, VR, and autonomous driving be used?
According to the report for the fourth fiscal quarter of fiscal year 2020, Apple’s cash flow as of the quarter was US$191.83 billion. Apple has abundant funds and strong R&D capabilities. After entering the automotive industry, it is likely to introduce more important technologies.
Apple defines the space in the car as a mobile office and private entertainment place, which relies to some extent on AR augmented reality technology. This is one of Apple’s key technologies and will definitely be moved into the future. car.
In this regard, Apple’s direction is AR-HUD. So far, Apple has obtained four AR-HUD patents in one go. In addition to navigation, Apple's AR-HUD can also translate street signs. This technology can turn the front windshield into a large screen, also known as HUD (heads-up display). Moreover, AR has been added. The front windshield is an AR-HUD. The name and number of the street view will be marked on the windshield, and you can accurately navigate by clicking on it on the car.
According to Apple’s description, the size of the AR-HUD display can be the same as that of a real person, making video calls more immersive. The system will select the position where the picture appears based on the vehicle speed and the caller's seat position, so the driver will not be affected by the FaceTime call.
If Apple Car (or icar?) is officially launched in a few years and can be equipped with this technology, it will undoubtedly be a major selling point of the new car.
In addition, autonomous driving is also full of imagination. Traditional automobile companies focus more on the research and development of driver assistance technologies, but do not pay enough attention to fully automatic intelligent driving. zhe. Compared with L1-L3, L4+ can accommodate more new technologies. There have been rumors that Apple's self-driving cars will use spherical tires. This is difficult to achieve on traditional cars because human drivers can never truly see and hear. Spherical tires can only increase the cost of the car. .
However, the industry generally holds a conservative attitude towards autonomous driving, believing that it is unrealistic to realize it within 10 years. Therefore, the Apple Car launched in 2024 is likely to be equipped with a more intelligent assisted driving system.
Written at the end
Apple Car is indeed full of imagination. I believe that once Apple launches Apple Car, no matter whether the product is good or bad, with the strong belief of Apple fans, people will line up to buy it. But Apple will not take risks and rush to launch a new car. Building a car is a very complicated matter after all, and the launch of Apple Car may be later than expected.
In addition, due to the inherent closed nature of the iOS system, the launch of Apple Car is destined to be a closed product, and its core technology will be exclusive to Apple Car. This is different from that of Huawei, Baidu and other companies. A “supplier” strategy is completely different. This will be a huge challenge for both smart car companies such as Tesla and traditional car companies.
This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.