The long-awaited Apple Car project was declared canceled earlier this year, with an insider report claiming that the Cupertino-based tech giant decided its fate internally. But Project Titan, the internally coded part of the once-promising Apple Car, lives on, appearing in almost every electric model from Chinese car giant BYD.
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According to a new report from bloombergApple and BYD’s history dates back to 2017, when the two companies began talking about a partnership. The partnership is reportedly aimed at producing long-range battery packs using lithium iron phosphate (LFP), which is cheaper and safer to produce than the then-current technology featured in BYD’s Blade batteries.
The fruit of a secret partnership
According to bloombergAnonymous sources said the products in the secret partnership between Apple and BYD were supposed to be custom-made for Apple cars. Apple engineers provided advanced battery pack and thermal management knowledge, and BYD provided manufacturing know-how and expertise in using LFP cells. A report on Apple’s partnership with a Chinese company was leaked in 2021, but it was never made official.
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BYD issued a statement. bloomberg Regarding the report, it claimed that the idea for the blade battery system came from a Chinese company. Similarly, the rights and patents also reportedly belong to BYD. Notably, BYD officially launched the Blade battery system under its subsidiary FinDreams Battery in 2020, offering improved safety, range, longevity, and strength compared to Li-ion and other traditional LFP batteries. , claims to be superior in terms of output.
So what happened?
The partnership between Apple and BYD was reportedly led by Alexander Hitzinger, a former Porsche racing engineer who worked on Project Artemis, and Mujeeb Ijaz, a former senior Apple executive. According to reports, BYD presented an early prototype to Apple executives. The prototype was then customized for Project Titan, including increased range.
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However, Apple reportedly pulled out of the partnership after working with BYD for many years. Battery systems from other companies were also considered, but delays in EV production and unexpected economics ultimately led to Project Titan’s demise. Once again, when you look at all the BYD EVs and plug-in hybrids on the road today, let us remind you that Apple once participated in their development.
Source: Bloomberg
