Study reveals strong demand for an Apple EV – that doesn’t yet exist

Technology giant Apple hasn’t ever officially announced plans to produce an electric vehicle, but recent research has revealed that people still want to drive one.

Apple, the Cupertino headquartered technology megalith, has long been rumoured to be working on an electric vehicle of some sort – however, this is the same company that was also said to be working on an Apple TV and surprised everyone by releasing a TV box, not an actual TV.

But a new study published by research firm Strategic Vision has found that, despite the lack of any promise of an Apple EV, people are still eagerly anticipating driving what would surely be named the ‘Apple Car’.

According to Strategic Vision’s New Vehicle Experience Study (NVES), which surveyed the experiences of over 200,000 new vehicle owners in the United States, if Apple were to build an electric vehicle, a number of customers would be lining up to buy it.

“Apple is the 3rd highest brand consideration with 26% of customers stating they would ‘Definitely Consider’ an Apple-branded vehicle in the future – just behind Toyota (38%) and Honda (32%), followed by Ford (21%), and Tesla (20%),” said Alexander Edwards, president of Strategic Vision.

“However, Apple’s strength doesn’t end here.

“What should be concerning to others is that Apple generates a greater amount of ‘love’ than any other automotive company, double that of strong brands like Honda, Toyota, and Tesla. For example, over 50% of Tesla owners would ‘Definitely Consider’ a future Apple vehicle. Everyone should be prepared.”

For Apple, popularity has never been an issue. The iMac, the iPod, iPhone, and iPad have all been synonymous with technology and popularity for decades. Add to that the fact that Apple CarPlay is already operating in many peoples’ cars, and it’s not such a huge stretch to understand why people are so willing to consider an Apple EV.

In Strategic Vision’s NVES Apple had the greatest combined score when looking at the top-box responses of two key measures – Future Consideration, of which 26% would ‘Definitely Consider’, and Your Impression of Quality, for which 24% said ‘I love it’.

“Of course, what Apple ultimately presents in terms of styling, powertrain, product, and other key features will finally determine the level of interest generated among car shoppers,” said Edwards.

“However, their brand awareness and reputation provide a formidable platform that automotive manufacturers should brace themselves for accordingly.”

Similarly to Tesla, however, Apple will also benefit from a rabid fanbase of consumers who consider the company unable to do any wrong.

Despite this, though, Strategic Vision nevertheless believes that Apple’s success will be at least partly impacted by how established competitors respond.

“If others don’t prepare today for this type of disruption, they may find themselves wondering ‘What Happened?’, similar to when Tesla entered the market,” explains Christopher Chaney, Strategic Vision senior vice president.

“All the current players in the industry mostly hold their own destiny. If they simply stay lulled into spending all their ingenuity chasing electric motors, LED lighting, and flat screens with thousands of apps and every high-tech feature you’ve never dreamed about, Apple may land the moonshot right in their sales backyard.”

Ironically, the only weak spot in Apple’s current position is the fact that they haven’t produced a vehicle yet, leaving 34% of new vehicle buyers responding to Strategic Vision’s survey stating that they “Don’t know enough about” what an Apple EV might be like.

“The good news for current automotive brands is that Apple’s road to destiny isn’t a given,” concludes Chaney.

“Designing future strategy and building cars based on ‘True Innovation’ involves rich and impactful impressions, a blend of art and science. Having highly motivational features that are each linked to the customer’s values and emotions is what will keep a potential Apple car on a relatively level playing field.”