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Today Porsche held its annual press convention that was made obtainable dwell this morning. For sports activities automotive followers desirous to study a few of the firm’s future concepts and plans, you try their web site right here. The convention might be replayed. It resides at the high proper hand aspect of the web site (at current). An IPO could also be in Porsche’s future and so speaking up future plans and thrilling new projects performed an enormous a part of today’s occasion.
As you will discover in our cowl graphic above, photos of Apple’s iPhone 14 were prominently displayed behind Sebastian Rudolph, VP Communications, Sustainability and Politics at Porsche, at one level in the convention with no rationalization as to why. Will future Porsche autos use Apple’s Car Keys expertise? I consider that was the first trace.
The massive information this morning concerned Porsche executives talking-up electrical autos and new battery expertise that will probably be coming to market in the not-too-distant future. They additionally spent a while speaking up their funding in an electrical bicycle firm and plans to go full tilt into electrical bicycle market over the subsequent few years. The picture beneath was taken from their convention today that exhibits the Porsche model on the physique of the bike sitting on a motorbike rack on a Porsche.
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After the convention, approved press members were in a position to ask the executives questions and the executives were in a position so as to add commentary. It was at this level that Automotive News Europe reported that Porsche’s CEO Oliver Blume said that “Managers at Porsche travelled to the United States late last year to discuss possible joint projects with iPhone maker Apple as well as with some other tech companies. We already have Apple CarPlay and we will expand on that.”
Blume added that Porsche and Apple have historically cooperated carefully and that they were “on the same wavelength” however added that it was too quickly to make any choices on future projects.
While the very first thing that observers might imagine is that Porsche and Apple might be working on some type of automobile associated mission contemplating that considered one of Apple’s main hires in February 2021 was Dr. Manfred Harrer who labored at Porsche for nearly 14 years. His LinkedIn profile in-part is introduced beneath.
However, different projects may embody a brand new GUI for CarPlay referring to Porsche’s Electric Bicycles. Remember that Apple truly labored on a motorbike associated patent for a GUI for iPod particularly for bikes again in 2010 (filed in 2009). So that would simply turn out to be useful for an Electric Bike, to be for certain.
An extended vary mission might be an power associated mission. Considering Apple’s huge renewable power projects, Porsche could also be in search of companions for his or her future “Charging Infrastructure” plans in California, the U.S. typically (and/or past). The picture beneath was proven during one section of their information convention today.
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More particularly, Porsche’s CEO revealed a mission for constructing out 7,000 Charging Stations in Europe by 2025 with every station containing as much as 12 recharging gadgets.
New Apple Patent: Power Ecosystem for Recharging Vehicles and Bikes
Lastly and coincidentally, the U.S. Patent Office printed a patent software from Apple a couple of new energy ecosystem for recharging autos and different “moving object” corresponding to a motorbike. Apple’s patent level #0041 truly factors to a “bicycle rack” for a automobile and/or automobile trailer (patent level #0041).
In quick, Apple describes their invention this manner: “An accent energy pack to be used as a part of an influence ecosystem is disclosed. The accent energy pack will be charged at a low or sluggish fee (e.g. a primary charging fee), corresponding to from a 100V to 120V AC outlet obtainable at a house or workplace. Once charged, the accent energy pack will be coupled to a automobile or a transferring object to produce cost to the automobile or the transferring at the next or quick fee (e.g. a second charging fee), corresponding to via a DC to DC connection. The accent energy pack can be utilized to increase working vary for the automobile or the transferring object, permitting a person to keep away from stopping the automobile or the transferring object to cost the energy unit of the automobile or the transferring object on longer journeys.
The accent energy pack will be designed in quite a lot of sizes, shapes, and interface sorts to help aerodynamic enhancements in operation of the automobile or the transferring object. The accent energy pack will be designed to help particular person actions corresponding to hauling cargo or powering instruments. The accent energy pack can embody accent sensor(s) that present accent sensor info to the automobile (or the transferring object, the house, or the workplace) to complement safety methods, security methods, or different operations.”
Below is Apple’s patent FIG. 2 illustrating an influence ecosystem for Vehicles makes use of an adjunct energy pack that might be charged at an workplace, house or enterprise.
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For extra particulars, overview Apple’s Project Titan patent software 20220080851.
Possibly having Porsche’s future charging station infrastructure construct in an influence accent charging element might be an fascinating growth for each corporations over time.
Two of Apple’s Inventors
Steve MacManus: Senior Director. Came to Apple through Tesla (was an Engineering VP)
Daniel Kaufhold: Product Design Engineer. Came to Apple from Waterloo Formula Electric as Mechanical Technical Lead for batter pack cells and aerodynamic package deal associated to electrical autos.
So whereas Apple’s Car Key and probably a CarPlay-like App for electrical bikes might be lifelike shorter-term joint projects between Porsche and Apple, there is also a number of bigger projects the place the two corporations may collaborate on over time. Stay tuned.