The Apple Car project went further than what the public thinks, as while the company already internally canceled the electric vehicle, it has long engaged in a partnership with China's BYD for its batteries. One of the most important components of an electric vehicle is its batteries, and the recent report revealed that this was among Apple's priorities as they were developing their secret project.
Several patents behind the Apple Car program were previously leaked to the public, further corroborating the leaks and rumor behind it, but the public was not treated to seeing an actual prototype or even a confirmation that it existed.
Apple Partnered with China's BYD for EV Battery Development
The latest report from Bloomberg revealed new details behind the axed Apple Car project, with the company forging a partnership with a Chinese up-and-coming automotive brand, BYD. It was shared that Apple and BYD began their partnership around seven years ago, and their venture focused on co-developing electric vehicle batteries that will use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry.
Both companies were looking to achieve longer-range and safer batteries compared to what was available in the market, with the electric vehicle industry known to be heavily relying on lithium-ion batteries (Li-On).
It was revealed by the report that Apple's partnership with BYD saw independent developments where Cupertino's 50-person team was led by Alexander Hitzinger and Michael He, BYD's vice president, heading the Chinese team.
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Apple Car is Dead But Reports Reveal What It Could Have Been
It was only last February when it was revealed that Apple already scrapped the Apple Car development as executives did not feel that the project was 'viable.' However, before Project Titan's cancelation, Apple and BYD already parted ways in their battery development after years of partnership, with Cupertino looking to explore more power cells from other companies.
The Apple Car was supposedly a fully autonomous electric vehicle that would not require a driver to control the vehicle since it had no steering wheels. However, it saw several hiccups along the way where the company considered setting aside full autonomy to bring it sooner, before it was canceled.
The Secret Project Titan EV of Cupertino
Rumors behind the top secret 'Project Titan' from Apple have surfaced for many years now, claiming that Cupertino internally developed the vehicle for over a decade already, envisioning an autonomous future. Many leaks and rumors confirmed that Apple is planning to build an electric vehicle that will feature the best of its technology, set to rival automotive giants like Tesla and more.
Analysts and insiders claimed that Apple has designed Project Titan from the ground up, and the company's supposed first iteration was set to arrive in 2026, but this version will not yet feature fully autonomous experiences. However, Apple also considered partnering with renowned car manufacturers to produce the vehicle for them, previously naming the likes of Hyundai, Kia, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and more to be among the considered companies.
The Project Titan development had its ups and downs, with Apple not seeing any willing manufacturers to help them indelivering the Apple Car EVs, and they also faced many executives departing from the project or stealing theirtechnology. Earlier this year, reports claimed that Apple already pulled the plug on Project Titan's development internally, but the talks behind it still continue, until now.
