Day: February 13, 2021

An Apple car would increase pressure on Tesla and other automakers

By Betty C. Morrow 2 weeks ago

External View of the Apple store on Fifth Avenue on August 19, 2020 in New York City.

VIEW press | Corbis News | Getty Images

Tesla has been called “the Apple of the automotive industry” for the amount of technology in its vehicles.

But as Apple is in talks to partner with South Korean automaker Hyundai-Kia for an electric vehicle, what does that mean for Tesla and other automakers?

Simply put, it’s complicated. Apple is known for its secrecy and there’s little information regarding what its business model would be for a so-called Apple Car. But overall, the tech giant entering new segments — phones, watches, music, streaming, etc. — has meant significant pressure for legacy companies to match its consumer interface and products. A car would likely be no different.

“There’s no question that Apple getting into the auto industry at all is going to put pressure on

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How Car Makers Collided With a Global Chip Shortage

By Betty C. Morrow 2 weeks ago

Executives at auto makers like Volkswagen AG and General Motors Co. were upbeat about the industry’s recovery in early fall. Demand was rebounding from pandemic lows, and their factories were humming again.

Then came the warnings. Like the one in a Nov. 12 Skype call between VW’s logistics head and officials at car-parts supplier Continental AG . The supplier said it wouldn’t deliver a range of core components VW needed because of a global semiconductor shortage, said people familiar with the call.

Other car makers were getting similar alerts from suppliers.

In December, the parts flow from Continental, Robert Bosch GmbH and other suppliers had so dried up that VW announced it would stop production of bestselling brands such as Audi and its namesake VW brand at plants in Europe, China and North America. Audi, citing a chip shortage, furloughed 10,000 factory workers for the first time since

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