Apple is making something. Maybe. Apparently. Probably?
It has been rumored for a long time that Apple is working on a mythical car called Project Titan.
The latest rumors suggest that the project is back on again, this time focusing on a shared vehicle that may not have a steering wheel, although a driveable version may be in the works too. Apple wants to launch in 2025.
I am curious to see what Curpertino thinks about an electric vehicle, and I would love to own an Apple car. I think it would be better for the planet than an Apple Car.
An Apple bike. I should say... the i bike.
I want you to hear me out before you get blurry vision.
It would be better for the environment.
I think Apple will market its car around environmental benefits. It takes a little research to show that e bikes are a better solution than cars for many places.
I am not aware of any studies comparing the environmental impact of electric cars and electric bikes.
A white paper by the Transportation Research and Education Center at Portland State University found that the average car in the Portland Metro region will produce more CO2 for each person traveling a mile than any other car. 140g CO2 is emitted by public transit per person mile.
An e-bike emits more CO2 per person-mile than an automobile.
In a report from the UK, it was found that ebikes produce 23 times less emissions than typical cars. The European Cyclist Federation found that electric bikes have a lower carbon footprint than cars.
Credit: Eco Green Love.
Electric cars tend to have a quarter to a third of the emissions of gas-powered vehicles once you factor in charging, according to research.
That isn't close to the reduction in emissions from riding a bike. It is obvious that an electric bike has a smaller environmental impact.
This is only looking at the environmental impact after purchase. An electric bike is better than an electric car in terms of manufacturing emissions. Although electric cars will create less emissions than a gas car over their lifetime, they still create more greenhouse gas emissions during manufacturing.
It is not even close, ebikes are a better solution for the environment where they are a viable replacement for cars.
Even if an ebike replaces half of your car trips, it would still have an effect on your environment. A study in Portland showed that a 15% change from cars to e bikes would result in a reduction in emissions. A study showed that ebikes reduced car trips.
Regular bikes have lower emissions than e bikes, but they are not as accessible or practical. E bikes are the most popular in urban environments. One study suggests that regular bikes only create about 1g fewer emissions than e bikes, and that people on e bikes tend to ride further and more often than their analog counterparts.
It would be better for traffic.
A study in the UK shows that electric car adoption could lead to worse traffic jams and health issues due to lack of exercise, because their lower operating costs would eventually mean more people would buy electric cars.
The lowest-energy methods of transport, including walking, cycling, and public transport, are able to deliver greater environmental impact while reducing urban congestion. It doesn't take much to see how it could reduce noise pollution.
One study showed that the presence of bikes on streets without a bike lane only affected average speeds by 1 mph. In any case, cities should have separate cycling infrastructure.
It would be better for urban infrastructure.
The lack of proper cycling infrastructure is one of the biggest hurdles to cycling adoption. Apple could help.
I am not a fan of most Apple products, but there are few companies that can affect cultural change like Apple. Many companies have been referred to as the Apple of e bikes. It is not hard to imagine how an i bike could improve cycling infrastructure around the world.
People would be buying more bikes in the first place. They would buy an i bike because it is an Apple product. There are few Apple products that don't excel in or dominate marketshare in their respective categories.
The company's popularity, clout, and lobbying power could compel cities to build out their cycling infrastructure, much in the same way the iPod changed the music industry and the iPhone changed the internet.
The 31 mph Vanmoof V was announced by the ebike company in hopes of sparking conversation about ebike speed regulations and infrastructure in the US, which has a federal limit of 28 mph. I couldn't help but think how much of an impact Apple would have had with a similar announcement.
You don't need to be an Apple fan to reap the benefits. Competition would be spawned as imitators and existing cycling companies try to take advantage of Apple's popularity.
It would be better for your health.
The company likes to position itself as a fitness brand since the advent of the Apple Watch. Guess which one gets your heart pumping the most: driving a car or riding an ebike?
The average ebike rider burns more calories than a cyclist over an extended period of time, if you haven't ridden one and think it's little better for your health than a motorcycle.
How can that be? ebike riders get on their bikes more often. You will likely burn less calories per mile, but will be taking more trips.
Unless Apple puts a treadmill in the Apple Car, you won't be getting much of a fitness benefit.
An electric car is boring.
I don't find it exciting to get excited about an Apple Car. It is hard to imagine what Apple could bring to the table that wouldn't be covered by other manufacturers.
Widespread electric car adoption is a matter of when, not if. Many countries have already set deadlines for having all new car sales be electric, and every car company is working on its own take on the EV. There are lots of companies trying to build self-driving vehicles, but there are rumors that the Apple Car will have some fancy capabilities.
The earliest year for an Apple Car is likely to be in 2025. I don't think the company will change the trajectory of global adoption of electric vehicles. The planet could very well be in the same place if Apple enters the EV market.
E bikes are not the same. In the US, where Apple is particularly powerful, there is an incredible amount of room to grow.
Aside from the infrastructure problems, Apple is the type of company that could bring serious innovation for other issues affecting cycling adoption, such as road safety and theft.
Imagine a world where an i bike could stop your bike before a car hits you or someone opens their door into the bike lane. A world where bike theft becomes unprofitable because of a feature that is so commonplace. Depending on the location, e bikes could be limited to 28 mph in the country or 20 mph in the city.
Those are the kind of things I would hope from Apple.
It is too early to know the impact the Apple Car will have, and I do not know what features Apple is planning to pack into its vehicle. You would be correct. The Apple Car is just going to be another electric car for now. An Apple i bike would have a better chance of changing the world.
