Apple is deepening its presence in the automotive supply chain and may develop self-driving taxis

It’s no secret that Apple is focusing on the automotive sector. Recently, Peter Fintl, technical director of German engineering consulting firm Capgemini, said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that Apple is deeply studying the engineering and manufacturing of cars: “The feedback we received in the supply chain is enough to let us know that Apple is examining every detail of automotive engineering and manufacturing.”

That being said, no one knows if Apple is really going to build a car. According to reports, Apple is likely to use its advantages in software and chip design to produce some kind of next-generation car platform for other manufacturers to use. However, according to Apple's usual style, if it wants to enter the automotive industry, it should directly cover the entire vertical field and control all aspects of the user experience.

But vertical coverage of the automotive field means that Apple needs to build an industry chain covering the entire process of manufacturing, testing and services, which not only requires extremely high investment, but also faces fierce competition. Fintl said: "If Apple really wants to target Tesla, then I don't understand why Apple executives are willing to suffer all this."

If it is neither car manufacturing nor platform services, are there other possibilities? Analysts believe that self-driving taxi services are also an option that Apple can consider. Apple can design cars, commission other companies to manufacture them, and put its own logo on the cars, making them part of the self-driving taxi service provided by Apple.

Currently, the autonomous taxi service market is still in its infancy. General Motors and Amazon have respectively established their own autonomous car companies, Cruise and Zoox. If Apple adopts the above method, it will have the hope of quickly capturing market share and competing with GM, Amazon and other companies.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.