Apple and the End of the Car as We Know It

Now that the car is evolving into essentially a smartphone on wheels, it's no wonder Apple is kicking the tires. First, there is the transition from internal combustion engines to electric motors, which have far fewer mechanical parts. Now, enabled by that change, a second shift is under way--one that's a prerequisite for a self-driving future. For a century, the automobile was a system of interoperating mechanics: engine, transmission, drive shaft, brakes, etc. As those mechanics evolved, electronic sensors and processors were brought in to assist them, but the concepts changed little.