Tech giant Apple has reportedly entered into a secret partnership with BYD in its decade-long self-driving electric car project. Apple’s now-canceled Project Titan had multiple partners, including Chinese automaker BYD, according to sources. The two companies were speculated to have collaborated on lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries in 2017.
Apple and Chinese automaker BYD have been working together since 2014, when Apple executives first saw an early iteration of the Blade battery, according to sources. According to the reports, Apple contributed knowledge of improved battery packs and thermal management, while BYD provided manufacturing expertise and advancements in lithium iron phosphate battery technology.
Apple and BYD team up to develop upcoming electric cars
Sources also speculate that the two companies are trying to integrate their different battery pack and battery plans to create a long-range, safe battery system for Apple cars. Technology giant Apple has withdrawn from a partnership and is considering using a system from a different battery manufacturer, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
The Apple relationship is reportedly overseen by former Volkswagen CEO Alexander Hitzinger and battery expert Mujeeb Ijaz, who together oversee 50 engineers. Additionally, there were multiple delays throughout the car project, and the economics of the EV industry ultimately proved too dire.
Apple spent about $1 billion a year developing its own self-driving electric cars before canceling the entire project in February and shifting resources to artificial intelligence projects.
The battery research effort clearly influenced other parts of Apple’s technology portfolio, such as the Vision Pro headphones and the Neural Engine artificial intelligence chip, but the company’s automotive ambitions never materialized.
