The Number One Problem The Apple Car Needs to Solve

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By Jacob Maslow

Apple store - 5th ave, new york cityA lot of industry observers that got excited about the news of Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) entering the automotive space have it all wrong. They look at Apple’s foray into automotive design and manufacturing as simply a revolutionary enhancement of the car as it currently exists. If this is the case, then Apple has no business entering Detroit’s business. If Apple only looks to make a new and improved version of the electric car, then you should just buy Tesla. I suspect that Apple has bigger fish to fry. It’s more ambitious than simply squeezing more mileage out of every electric car’s charge or coming up with a sleek wireless technology-enhanced car. I believe that if Apple is serious about designing and building cars, it should really swing for the fences. It should aim to solve the number one problem car owners have.

 

What problem is this? Your car is actually useless 80% of the time. That’s right. Why? You’re not using your car. You buy your car, you park it in the parking lot, and it just sits there. You only need to use it once you get out the office and you need to go home, or go to the gym, or go to a restaurant. After you’re done, you get back in your car and then you park it. Over 80% of a car’s time is spent being unproductive. This is a massive waste. You are actually paying a lot of money for that car, and most of the time it’s not doing anything; it’s not adding any value to your life. The number one problem in the automotive space is to revolutionize the current model of car ownership. The number one problem to be solved is to create a system where car users get the most bang out of every hard-earned buck they spend on transportation.

 

The solution to this is a shared car. You only pay for the car that you use. Using your mobile device, you can call up a car, reserve a car, you can go to a location, get in the car, get to where you need to go, and leave it there. You can use your mobile device again to get into another car when you need to. This is a very efficient model that also saves a lot of money. Of course, consumer mentality has to change. Car buyers currently have an ownership mentality; they think they’re getting maximum value by owning a car, but the reality is that our cars own us and are providing very little value.

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