Apple secretly collaborated with BYD on long-range EV batteries
Apple had been working in secrecy with Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer BYD, according to Bloomberg. The partnership, which started around 2017 and continued for several years, was aimed at developing long-range batteries. Even though the project was eventually canceled in February this year, it played a major role in shaping Apple's product line and helped BYD dominate the market with its Blade battery.
The partnership aimed to create safer, longer-range batteries
The main aim of the Apple-BYD partnership was to develop a battery system based on lithium iron phosphate cells. The tech was supposed to be safer and offer a longer range than standard EV batteries back then. While Apple doesn't own any tech used in BYD's current Blade batteries, the collaboration highlights the iPhone maker's dedication to making an electric car.
Apple's significant investment in the car project
Reportedly, Apple invested some $1 billion every year over the last decade on its vehicle project. The tech developed with BYD was highly customized for this planned vehicle. As part of their collaboration, Apple engineers contributed their expertise in advanced battery packs and heat management, while BYD provided manufacturing knowledge and advancements using lithium iron phosphate cells, also known as LFP.
BYD's Blade battery system influenced by Apple collaboration
Now, BYD's entire car lineup uses the Blade system, a battery pack design that insiders claim was shaped by the Apple collaboration. The partnership started when Apple was looking at core technologies for its car and BYD engineers demonstrated early versions of the Blade battery to Apple executives. The executives were impressed with the technology's safety and energy storage capabilities, leading to customizations to improve EV range.
Apple, BYD aimed to create a safe, long-range battery system
Apple had been testing different batteries with materials like nickel and alkaline. The company had also invested millions in battery pack design and engineering to get the most out of the cell. The partnership with BYD sought to combine these independent pack and cell efforts into a safe, long-range battery system for Apple's vehicle. The effort was led by Alexander Hitzinger, former senior Volkswagen AG and Porsche executive who oversaw product design for the car project from 2016 to 2019.
Apple's car project cancelation and its aftermath
Despite years of working with BYD, Apple ultimately pulled out of the partnership due to several delays and difficult economics of the EV business. The cancelation of the car project was a rare high-profile failure for Apple. However, the decade-long effort produced valuable insights that helped develop products such as the Vision Pro headset and Neural Engine AI processor now seen on most Apple devices.
