Fiat-Chrysler Head Honcho Sergio Marchionne says it would be foolish of the car industry to ignore advancements by Apple and Google into car technology. He further tells that both US companies were extremely serious about their automotive goals. He further tells that their moves into electric vehicles and driverless technology could be detrimental for automotive manufacturers. These comments by chief executive Sergio Marchionne were made at the 2015 Geneva Motor show.

He said that it’s not always a bad thing when someone new wants to shake things up in the automotive industry, but the feeling is not that great if you’re the person who’s being affected. Titan – Apple’s new car project has already employed several hundred experts and the company’s large pool of resources give it an added edge over its competition. But Marchionne also indicated that he would like to involve Apple in a few potential projects, and that neither of the two companies should underestimate the automotive company’s ability to adapt and respond appropriately to new updates and challenges.

As indicated by Mr. Sergio Marchionne, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo and Maserati some of Fiat-Chrysler’s brands played key roles in boosting company profits. He refers to Apple and Google as disruptive interlopers. and says that these brands have much greater immunity compared to them. If someone buys a Ferrari, they’re obviously going to drive it, Marchionne says. Simultaneously, the Fiat boss says that the European Automotive Sector is constantly on the rise, and this market is not as fierce as it used to be.

Google and Apple Cars

This year’s Geneva Motor Show seen the presence of several big names including Rinspeed, Apollo Vredestein and Qoros, but although Apple and Google were missing they did manage to make their presence felt. Both tech giants are working hard to play a significant role in future infotainment systems, where Apple’s Carplay system has already been added by several automakers products and a similar system powered by Google’s Android OS. Would be interesting to see car insurance costs down the line for an Apple car.

But their goals are not limited to just getting onto steering wheels and dashboards, but Google has been working hard on its autonomous driving technology and has even spoken with Rousch – a Detroit automaker to produce 100 test bubble shaped vehicles called Google Cars. Apple on the other hand has been secretive about its plans, but word it that it is actively looking for new talent and is working on Project Titan – an autonomous battery powered vehicle.

Although no one has actually got a glimpse of the Apple Car, experts from the industry anticipate it will be revealed in due course. One thing that is unclear is if the company will be building these vehicles on its own or in partnership with another company. But getting your feet wet in the car industry isn’t cheap, with an upwards of $1 billion dollars needed to create a new vehicle from the ground up. And Apple surely does have all the resources needed to build a vehicle from scratch with a market value of over $700 billion and more than $170 billion in cash.