Apple’s Discontinued Electric Car Dream: The Inside Story of its Partnership with China’s BYD for EV Battery Development

According to a Bloomberg article on Wednesday, Apple collaborated with China's BYD in the development of electric vehicle batteries before discontinuing its highly speculated EV initiative.

According to the document, the two firms commenced a joint venture in 2017 aimed at creating lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) batteries for Apple's automotive project. With a wealth of expertise in this field, BYD boasts enhancements in cooling and safety features with its 2020-launched Blade battery.

BYD Han Electric Vehicle

According to sources, Apple has tasked Alexander Hitzinger with the initiative. Previously, Hitzinger led the technical team for Porsche's 919 hybrid racing endeavor before he took on a role at Apple overseeing product design within the company's special projects division. His tenure there spanned from 2016 to 2019, after which he rejoined the Volkswagen Group to focus on self-driving technology and a project related to Audi's electric vehicles.

It's said that the group consisted of 50 specialists overseen by Mujeeb Ijaz from Apple, and Michael He, who is the Vice President of BYD's battery division, was the representative for his firm. There was talk of a much bigger crew, allegedly around 2,000 strong, dedicated to the automobile initiative. The undertaking, often mentioned as "Project Titan," has been a topic of conversation in the press since 2014, yet not much in the way of solid details has ever been made public.

BYD Han Electric Vehicle

According to sources, Apple has shifted its focus from the existing collaboration to investigate battery technologies offered by alternative suppliers. In 2021, it was reported twice that Apple was in discussions with BYD and another Chinese company, CATL, regarding LFP batteries and the potential for production in the United States. Additionally, in December 2020, there were claims that Apple was exploring a unique "monocell" battery structure that would allow for increased internal space.

It's been said that Apple has pulled the plug on its electric car initiative earlier this year, following a decision to downgrade the project to a simple car model lacking the anticipated self-driving capabilities. It seems that Apple's future participation in the automotive sector will probably be restricted to its existing CarPlay system that allows for smartphone integration, which it provides to car manufacturers.

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