Apple once worked with the China-based conglomerate BYD on a battery for its now-scrapped electric Apple Car, according to Bloomberg.
Per the publication, Apple teamed up with BYD in 2017 in an effort to create a battery system using lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells. This tech is said to have been highly customized to allow for longer range and greater safety than other EV batteries at the time. Apple also brought in engineers with expertise in advanced battery packs and heat management.
Interestingly, Apple was even going so far as to invest $1 billion USD (about $1.38 billion CAD) every year over the past decade into these Apple Car ambitions. However, the company never publicly confirmed the vehicle and, in February, reportedly cancelled the project entirely. At the time, Bloomberg reported that the Apple Car faced numerous production challenges that, coupled with a cooling EV market, led Apple to reevaluate and shift its plans. This included assigning many of the 2,000-person Apple Car team to work on Apple’s various AI efforts.
BYD, meanwhile, benefited from the collaboration, notes Bloomberg, as it helped influence the development of the Chinese company’s current Blade battery system.
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