Actually for the Apple Car: New battery technology from Apple for electric cars
Together with a Chinese car company, Apple reportedly worked on a breakthrough in battery technology for several years. Parts of it seem to already be in use.
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As part of its failed car project this spring, Apple also worked on new battery technology. According to a US media report from Thursday, this was done over several years together with the Chinese vehicle manufacturer BYD. According to the report, the aim was to create improved lithium iron phosphate cells, which should have a particularly high capacity and high safety at the same time. Part of the development has apparently now been incorporated into BYD vehicles.
Team had existed since 2017
Apple and BYD, which is headquartered in Shenzhen, China, are said to have started the project back in 2017, writes the financial news agency Bloomberg. BYD now uses blade batteries with lithium iron phosphate, although this is not said to be Apple technology. The batteries intended for the "Apple Car" should have been "highly customized", according to informed persons. Among other things, Apple brought experience in battery packaging and waste heat management to the team. BYD, in turn, is said to have contributed its experience with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery chemistry.
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Early versions of today's blade batteries were also presented to Apple managers. The company liked both the safety and energy density aspects of the technology. Apple had previously worked on nickel and alkaline processes, among others. The project is said to have cost hundreds of millions of US dollars. The aim was to combine Apple and BYD technology to create a safe Apple vehicle with a long range.
Former VW manager involved
On the Apple side, former VW and Porsche manager Alexander Hitzinger, who was responsible for product design until 2019, is said to have played a leading role. Former battery specialists such as A123 Systems veteran Mujeeb Ijaz were also involved on the Apple side. The project was also high up at BYD, with a vice president responsible for battery technology.
Despite several years of work with BYD, Apple ultimately decided to break off the partnership and wanted to find other suppliers, according to the report. This never happened. In spring 2024, the Apple Car was finally buried after Apple had invested billions in the project over the years. After all, some of the technology developed in the process flowed into other projects such as the Apple Watch or the company's ARM SoCs.
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