Consumers would 'definitely consider' an Apple car more often than most others, including Teslas
Survey ranks it third behind Toyota and Honda
Apple hasn’t officially announced plans to sell a car, but it might want to hurry up.
According to the latest New Vehicle Experience Study from Strategic Vision, 26% of 200,000 consumers surveyed would "Definitely Consider" buying an Apple car, placing it third behind Toyota (38%) and Honda (32%).
It beat all the other automakers, including Ford (21%) and Tesla (20%), which finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
"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," Strategic Vision President Alexander Edwards said in a press release.
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Apple has tested technology on public roads installed in Lexus vehicles. (Andrej Sokolow/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Edwards' statement is based on combining the results of Future Consideration and Your Impression of Quality categories, the latter of which Apple received a 24% "I Love It" response rate.
Apple CEO Tim Cook (Getty Images / Getty Images)
"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," added Christopher Chaney, Strategic Vision senior vice president.
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Apple CEO Tim Cook has been opaque about the kind of work Apple has done on electric and autonomous vehicles, although it's known to be doing research on both and has filed several patents related to them.
The next generation Apple CarPlay system will be able to operate any screen in a vehicle. (Apple)
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Its AppleCar play smartphone integration is also in use in most new automobiles on sale today, however, and allows the phone to be controlled via the infotainment system display, while a next-generation version has been revealed that can essentially take over every screen in a vehicle.
Apple's electronics rival Sony has joined forces with Honda to collaborate on an electric vehicle that will go on sale in 2025.