Although Apple's cars have not yet been mass-produced, consumers have always been highly curious about the electric cars it builds given its great achievements in the mobile phone industry. Recently, overseas media reported the latest news about Apple cars and exposed many design

Although Apple's cars have not yet been mass-produced, consumers have always maintained a high degree of curiosity about the electric cars it builds in view of its great achievements in the mobile phone industry.

Recently, overseas media reported the latest news about Apple cars and exposed many design details. However, the too advanced design not only failed to be appreciated by domestic consumers, but also caused a lot of complaints. Many netizens feel that its exterior design is like a coffin, and the bold design that may not have a steering wheel or brakes makes netizens dare not buy it.

Apple Car became popular before it was launched, but because it carries the extremely high expectations of "Apple fans", it is burdened with greater pressure. But after many technology giants stopped building cars, there was less and less time left for , Apple, and , and it became increasingly difficult to become an instant success. As a disruptor in the smartphone industry, will and Apple overturn in the automotive industry?

Apple's car design is controversial

Apple's car-making project was launched in 2014, the same year as the establishment of NIO and Xpeng Motors . Nowadays, NIO and Xpeng have not only achieved mass production delivery, but also delivered close to 100,000 vehicles last year. However, there is still no exact time for the mass production of Apple cars.

008 has passed, and there are a lot of rumors about Apple cars. Various so-called "spy photos" are often circulated, and there are even rumors that Apple will stop its car-making project. The latest news from

shows that the design details of the Apple car have been basically completed. It has a streamlined appearance and a curved roof, which is a bit like an elongated version of the Beetle. There are four seats facing each other inside to facilitate passengers. For face-to-face communication in the car, the car is also equipped with a large seat back screen that can be lifted and a trunk that can be automatically lifted and lowered.

The most incredible thing is that the car may not have a steering wheel and brake pedal. Apple is said to be aiming to obtain an exemption from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's to release vehicles without steering wheels and brake pedals.

Jony Ive, the former design director of Apple who resigned in 2019 and started his own business, participated in the project as a consultant. He has long suggested that the Apple car team should stick to the vehicle's "weird" design and not try to hide its sensors. Perhaps because of this, the appearance of Apple's car appears to be quite different.

However, Chinese netizens do not appreciate the box-like appearance of the Apple car, thinking it looks like a mobile coffin, and some people bluntly say it looks like a "hearse." The design of

without a steering wheel and brake pedal has made many people shy away. Netizens have said that such a car is too scary and they dare not buy it.

Judging from the reactions of Chinese netizens, this Apple car has not received much praise, but has caused quite a bit of controversy. One is the exterior design. The "Beetle" van design with the curved roof not only does not make consumers feel technological or futuristic, but instead makes it look like a coffin or a hearse. Another is the design of eliminating the steering wheel and brake pedal. In the current industry context where autonomous driving technology is immature, this advanced design makes consumers feel insecure.

Is there still a chance for Apple to build a car?

In recent years, rumors about Apple cars have been endless. Every time there is news, it can be ranked on the car hot search list, proving that its popularity has always been online.

The irony is that despite all the news about Apple cars, there has never been any official news. Apple has been tight-lipped about its plans to build a car, making its Project Titan (the name of Apple's car project) rather mysterious.

008 has passed, what is the progress of Project Titan? Was it once shelved as the legend says, or was the car-building project completely abandoned? These questions have always remained in people's minds. The latest report from

claims that Apple’s self-driving car plan will be launched in 2025 and will be tested on public roads starting as soon as this year. There are currently internal discussions within Apple on how to disguise the car's prototype during public testing.

If the Apple Car is indeed planning to launch in 2025, that's still three years away. In the rapidly changing field of new energy vehicles, three years is enough to subvert the entire industry and give birth to a true electric vehicle oligopoly . Data from

EV-Volumes shows that the cumulative global sales of new energy models in 2021 will be approximately 6.5 million, of which 3.52 million were sold in the Chinese market. It is expected that by 2025, global sales of new energy vehicles will exceed 20 million units, and sales in China will be close to 10 million units.

Among the car companies currently active on the new energy vehicle track, among the new forces, there are , Tesla, , Wei Xiaoli, Nezha, etc.; among the traditional forces, there are Volkswagen, , BYD, , etc. SAIC, GAC, Great Wall.

Tesla delivered a total of 936,000 new cars last year. With the opening of the Berlin factory this year, Tesla's global sales are expected to reach a higher level, with more than one million vehicles just around the corner. BYD's cumulative sales in the first half of this year have exceeded 640,000 vehicles. By the end of the year, the cumulative delivery volume of new energy vehicles is expected to exceed 1 million. Tesla and BYD, as the leaders of new forces and traditional forces respectively, have become the first-tier players in the electric vehicle era.

Ranking based on sales, SAIC-GM-Wuling , Volkswagen, BMW , Mercedes-Benz can be listed as the second echelon, with sales exceeding 200,000 units last year. Those with sales of more than 100,000 vehicles include SAIC, Volvo, Hyundai, Audi, Kia, Great Wall, Renault, GAC, Toyota, Ford, Peugeot, etc.

In the next three years, new rivals Baidu and Xiaomi that have entered the field of car manufacturing will all deliver their works. Huawei is also expected to have great achievements in cornering car manufacturing, and Wei Xiaoli will also gain a firmer foothold. It can be said that before the Apple car comes out, the electric vehicle market is already very saturated and will be divided up by various players.

With its strong brand appeal and huge number of seed users, Apple can certainly grab a certain market share from other competitors. However, given that the use of cars is related to the safety of human life, Apple needs a longer market test period. It will take more time for cars to truly gain a foothold in the electric vehicle market. By then, will Apple Car still stand out? Perhaps only by coming up with amazing self-driving technology can Apple have a chance.