Apple should buy Tesla from Elon Musk — or so thinks Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, speaking in a recent interview with Bloomberg Radio.
“The big thing they could buy that I would be impressed with is Tesla,” Munster said, referring to how Apple could spend its $203 billion in cash. “To me, when you think about that absurd amount of cash, you have to go after opportunities, and I think automotive fits within that camp.”
Munster was speaking about the recent reports that Apple is working on Project Titan, an electric car project which is reportedly consuming the time of 1,000 Apple employees. But while Munster says a Tesla acquisition would be interesting, he also notes that it’s not something Apple has to do by any means.
“Given Apple’s DNA, it probably makes sense for them to just develop something on their own,” he said. “If they would go the Tesla route, and if Elon Musk would step aside — [and] those are two big ifs — then it would make structural sense for them to do that.”
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard the subject of an Apple acquisition of Tesla raised. Tim Cook has even been asked directly by shareholders about the possibility of Apple acquiring Tesla. “We don’t really have a relationship with them,” he replied evasively. “Was that a good way to avoid the question?” he asked, following up.
There have been plenty of reports of Tesla and Apple trading employees, although Apple has also been hiring its own car people — such as Doug Betts, previously the senior vice president of Chrysler Group, who was recently given a job by the company.
Personally, I’d love to see Apple get into the electric car space — although if it did acquire Tesla for whatever reason (and it wouldn’t be the patents), surely you’d want Elon Musk to come as part of the package?
Source: Business Insider
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
8 responses to “Shortest route to killer Apple car? Buy Tesla”
Apple buying Tesla would be horrible. If that would happen, don’t wait for the price of batteries to come down or the price of Tesla cars. I really hope they don’t go for it. Tesla is cool because they are the outsiders of the car industry. If they are bought by Apple or any other big company, it will be its doom.
“If they would go the Tesla route, and if Elon Musk would step aside” that is the dumbest idea ever. Elon Musk IS Tesla! he is a Genius! they come out with upgrades every few months and gave away their patents because they innovate so much. they don’t hide behind their patents. The fact that insane wasn’t enough and bumped it to ludicrous mode is why Tesla is awesome and soo different from Apple. I hope apple never buys them.
I doubt Musk would be interested in working for someone else, though a partnership of some kind might be interesting. Or like Gizmo84 says below/above, I think Elon Musk is an actual genius and might be wasted in that kind of venture. Get us to Mars instead!
He makes a pretty big assumption that Tesla might be ever for sale.
I’ve said this before. Apple should by Tesla not just for the car tech they need, but also for the CEO. Just like when they bought NeXT.
I saw some Tesla cars shown off at the mall the other day. Honestly, I don’t remember the models. But I wasn’t too impressed. In my eyes it was a rather ugly car. Also, I like gas cars. If Apple makes a car, I hope they have a gasoline option. Or at least Deisel. There are very few car charging stations in my area and I just don’t like the idea of a car running only on a battery. What if your car gets hit with an EMP? A gas car is affected by an EMP, but not nearly as much as an electric car. Also, I would want the car to have roller windows. I can’t stand electric windows. My current vehicle is from 1999 and all these features in new cars are things I don’t like. I updated my radio and sound system. Those are the only “new” things I need in a car.
fuck you…pollution loving faggot
Unless you have a car from the 70’s or earlier, an EMP will seriously affect your car regardless of it being equiped with a combustion engine or en electrical engine. Electronic engine management systems made their debut in the 80’s and since then cars have been susceptible to electromagnetic disturbances.
You car from 1999 is likely to be very vulnerable to EMPs since at that time, the general understanding in the automotive industry w.r.t. EMI was not as good as it is today.
That being said, combustion engines still have some advantages, such as range. Another advantage is the infrastructure built around cars with combustion engines. All of these will soon go away though. The range of electric cars will increase and I the infrastructure will be expanded. Soon there will be no advantages at all – the combustion engine (in cars) is reaching the end of its life…