Apple into the automotive industry? !

March 9 news, according to foreign media reports, Apple really will enter the automotive industry? If this is really the case, whether Apple's entry will bring “disruption” to the auto giants that have already settled in the market just as it has done in the field of smart phone industry.

This is only known to Apple executives. At present, the most likely situation is that Apple will launch Apple's auto service and will not directly sell cars to consumers. In any case, Apple intends to make cars, which is undoubtedly questionable. So the question is, what does Apple Auto mean for other car giants like Ford and General Motors?

If Apple enters the auto manufacturing industry, this tech giant is fully capable of throwing blockbusters in the field. When the first time the news broke that Apple intended to build a car, we thought that if Apple really decided to enter the car manufacturing industry, it would definitely become a tremor rival of the existing auto giants.

Apple’s unusually strong financial reserves (as of the end of 2014, Apple’s cash reserves reached 178 billion U.S. dollars), its design philosophy, its ability to attract top talent, coupled with strong brand strength and distribution network, these factors make Apple have The potential to quickly become a major competitor in the auto manufacturing industry, and the scale impact of Apple's becoming a major competitor in the automotive industry is far greater than Tesla's current level of achievement.

Car manufacturers such as Ford and General Motors are not afraid of Tesla at all, at least for now. They are curious about Tesla and are carefully watching Tesla's every move. If Tesla is successful in the electric vehicle market, these auto giants will also enter the electric car market on a larger scale. In any case, they think Tesla is not a threat.

But if Apple enters the auto industry, the feelings of these industry giants and Tesla are totally different from the possible competition with Apple. In fact, they have already felt this difference.

Global automakers are eager to show consumers that they also have advanced technology.

Although GM and Ford executives have not responded to the possibility of Apple's car, other auto giants have been unable to hold back. Last week, they threw out their views on Apple Motors. The CEO of Fiat-Chrysler Sergio Marchionne told the BBC that Apple's advancement into the automotive business is absolutely "spoiled." He also believes that Apple and Google, currently developing a driverless car, are "very serious" about entering the auto market.

Dieter Zetsche, Daimler CEO of Mercedes-Benz’s parent company, said that the technology giants are smashing the auto market, which will bring “positive” impact. However, he also believes that new technologies may cause destructive factors. He emphasized that the design and mass production of automobiles are far more complex and costly than those outside the industry. It needs to be pointed out that Daimler is not incapable of taking technical measures either: Daimler has already put cars with certain autopilot functions on the market.

Like Daimler and Fiat, as far as technology is concerned, Ford and GM have spared no effort to show to the outside world that they also "have technology." At last week's Geneva Motor Show, GM focused on OnStar's show, with OnStar car users can achieve 4G connection with the car. Similarly, GM is not a lightweight player in advanced technology. The universal Super Cruise system will be installed on some 2017 Cadillac models, allowing users to gain certain autopilot features.

Ford launched a new type of in-vehicle SYNC system, and at the same time emphasized the mass use of lightweight materials (such as aluminum) in the car body. Ford also set foot in the "big data" field, hired a large number of software engineers to develop related systems, and laid the foundation for Ford to transform into a "personal mobility" automotive supplier. What we need to understand is that not all advanced technologies are the same as smart phones. It is more difficult and expensive to mass-produce cars with global competitive quality than to produce smart phones.

Back to the question at the beginning of this article, what other car giants should do. Faced with the potential competition from Apple (and Google), auto giants should take it seriously. Of course, we do not yet know what kind of threat Apple and Google will bring to the auto giants.

Google hopes to launch its self-driving car in 2020, but industry sources believe that the introduction of a fully automated car may take longer (as well as the legal framework for autonomous cars). Apple's plan may be limited to car services such as Uber, at least initially. Apple and Google giants are also likely to switch to in-car systems running on IOS and Android. This is undoubtedly the car giants are happy to see.

The pace of innovation in the automotive industry is accelerating. While the auto giants should be serious about the threats that Apple and Google may pose, they should also understand whether Apple and Google are willing or able to "disrupt" the auto market. This is something that is not yet clear.