Apple: Auto Industry Poised for “Massive Change”

Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook says the global auto industry is “at an inflection point for massive change” driven primarily by software.

Cook tells a Wall Street Journal tech conference in California that electric vehicles threaten to destabilize the traditional auto industry and its focus on the internal combustion engine.

He declined to comment on reports indicating Apple plans to develop its own EV. But Cook notes the convergence of software, electrification and autonomous vehicles provides a rare opportunity for new companies to break into the auto business.

Cook says Apple’s immediate focus is to promote its CarPlay system, which links an iPhone to the vehicle’s infotainment system. He adds that the lackluster performance of the systems developed by carmakers so far represents a huge opportunity for companies such as Apple.