There’s been plenty of
iChat recently about the
possible development of
an iCar, a joint venture
between Apple and German carmaker
Volkswagen. The idea,
and there’s nothing really new
about this, is to create both an
entertainment and office environment
on four wheels. Never mind
the gridlock; just grab the opportunity
to be productive or pacified
by your favourite music or
TV program.
Apple is keen to jump on the
automotive infotainment freeway
and grab a piece of the e30
million pie that’s predicted for
this sector by 2012. And who
can blame them. No surprise,
then, that Apple boss Steve Jobs
and Volkswagen chief Hr.
Winkerton have been meeting
up over this idea.
So will the iCar be a runner?
My view is the idea has some
concept-crunching flaws.
Firstly, Apple and Volkswagen
have been a bit slow off the
grid. Ford and Microsoft, and
BMW and Intel, are already
way ahead with the Ford infotainment
system called Sync,
which is shaping up for launch
before the end of the year.
But for me, the main problem
with the Apple Volkswagen iCar
is I don’t really see the two companies
as compatible partners.
How so?
Well, I started my career as a
design engineer with Ford and I
know how cautious—to the point
of corporate paranoia—carmakers
are about product reliability.
All carmakers know what a
huge financial drain and imagewrecking
nightmare vehicle
recalls can become if cars fail.
Carmakers want electronics
components and systems that
will prove reliable for at least
three- or maybe five-year warranty
periods.
So exactly why would a conservative
carmaker like Volkswagen,
with its reputation for
build quality and reliability, want
to team up with Apple? Apple
has, in the past, supplied products
that whilst innovative and
certainly aspirational in the eyes
of the younger generation, develop
reliability problems in not
much longer than a year. How
many iPod owners do you know
who are experiencing problems?
The point here is that after
about 18 months, an iPod user
is probably willing to spend
whatever the cost is on the latest
model and isn’t overly enraged
about product failure. Can we
say the same of a car owner
who has invested maybe
e20,000? iDon’t think so.
