Dead Apple Car Was Meant To Run On Chinese Technology

The long-awaited Apple Car project was pronounced dead earlier this year, with insider reports claiming that the Cupertino-based tech giant decided on its fate internally. However, it appears that a part of the once promising Apple Car, internally coded Project Titan, has lived on and can be found on almost every electrified model of BYD, a Chinese auto giant.

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According to a new report from Bloomberg, the history between Apple and BYD dates back to 2017 when the two companies started talking about a collaboration. The partnership reportedly aimed to produce a long-range battery pack using lithium iron phosphate (LFP) that’s cheaper and safer to produce than then current technologies – the characteristics of BYD’s Blade batteries.

Fruit Of A Secret Partnership

According to Bloomberg‘s unnamed sources, the product of the secret partnership between Apple and BYD was supposed to be bespoke for the Apple car. Apple engineers contributed knowledge in advanced battery packs and heat management, while BYD contributed manufacturing know-how and expertise in using LFP cells. A report about Apple’s partnership with a Chinese company leaked in 2021, but it never became official.

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BYD issued a statement to Bloomberg about the report, claiming that the idea of a blade-style battery system came from the Chinese firm. Likewise, rights and patents reportedly belong to BYD. Of note, BYD officially launched the Blade battery system in 2020 under its subsidiary FinDreams Battery, with claims of being better in terms of safety, range, longevity, strength, and power compared to lithium-ion and other traditional LFP batteries.

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 Apple senior executive. According to the report, BYD presented an early prototype to Apple executives. The prototype was then customized for Project Titan, including extending its range.

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However, Apple reportedly backed away from the partnership after years of working with BYD. It also considered battery systems made by other companies, but ultimately, the delay and unforeseen economics of EV production, more so a self-driving vehicle, led to the eventual demise of Project Titan. Then again, let all BYD EVs and plug-in hybrids on the road today remind us that Apple was once a part of its development.