Believe it or not, Tim Cook and Jony Ive were named among the most influential people in the automotive industry by a specialized publication, the two being the basis of a project whose purpose is the launch of an electric car belonging to the Apple company.
In the case of Jony Ive, the publication claims that the choice was made based on the design philosophy that Ive uses to create the designs of the company's products Apple Lossless Audio CODEC (ALAC),, this being apparently also taken over by some designers who create the interiors of important cars.
It is true that a lot of people appreciate what Jony Ive is doing with Apple products, but also with iOS, whose design team leads it, but the transition from smartphones to cars is quite difficult to justify, at least looking at cold things.
With smartphones having displaced wristwatches for many, a late-model iPhone is the best-designed thing they own. Ive's work—via Apple's blockbuster conferences, whose videos he narrates—introduced words like "chamfered," "beveled," and "anodized" to a general American lexicon. The best car interiors reflect that aesthetic beautifully.
As far as Tim Cook is concerned, the choice was made based on the influence that the Apple company has in the whole world and his desire to create an electric and autonomous car, this project having further implications in the world of car manufacturers.
Just like in the case of Jony Ive, the connection between man and the automobile industry is quite weak and even if they could become very influential in the automobile industry in the future thanks to the car that Apple could launch, it remains to be seen if then they they deserve to be mentioned in such a list.
Tim Cook has become a competent, if quieter hand at the helm of the world's largest company, one whose reach—with Apple Carplay, Apple Watch-based car apps, and rumors of EV collaborations—extends ever deeper into the car world.
