After reports came out last month saying that Apple may develop its autonomous vehicle alone, despite still being on the lookout for suppliers, a new update shows that talks with two large companies in China may be on the fence.
Apple’s electric vehicle (EV) talks with China-based CATL and BYD have largely been put on hold, as both companies declined to build a dedicated factory for the project in the U.S., according to three people with knowledge of the subject (via Reuters).
While CATL, the world’s largest EV battery maker, and BYD both told Apple in the past few months, though the U.S. company may not be done pursuing either of the companies as potential suppliers, according to one of the sources.
Foxconn Building Electric Vehicle Factories in the U.S., Thailand in 2022 https://t.co/IO4qfaMmra
— TeslaNorth.com (@RealTeslaNorth) August 12, 2021
CATL is reportedly hesitant to set up a U.S. factory, due to political concerns between China and the U.S., as well as a general lack of funds, as detailed by one of the sources who had insider knowledge on the conversations.
BYD, on the other hand, does have a U.S. factory in Lancaster, California for making EV batteries, though it apparently doesn’t want to build a new factory and team dedicated to Apple’s supply.
Beyond China, Apple is also apparently considering Japanese company Panasonic Corp., and the company reportedly sent a group of employees to Japan earlier this month.
