Apple’s once-secretive electric vehicle (EV) project may have ended, but its collaboration with BYD may have helped the Chinese automaker continue to surge and enter new markets.
In an effort to develop safer, more efficient batteries, Apple apparnetly partnered with BYD to work on lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, reports Bloomberg. Although Apple ultimately shelved its EV project earlier this year, BYD took lessons from the collaboration to refine its Blade Battery, which now powers all its electric vehicles.
Apple was drawn to BYD’s expertise in LFP technology because of its lower cost and resistance to fire, compared to nickel-based batteries. While the partnership ended without yielding an Apple car, the insights gained helped BYD develop an innovative battery system that gave it a significant edge in the global EV market.
Sources tell Bloomberg Apple engineers had come up with the original idea to use a battery pack with safer LFP cells, made by BYD for the Apple car.
Apple had hoped to integrate these custom battery designs into its own vehicles, but after failing to achieve full autonomy, the project was discontinued.
Though no intellectual property from Apple made its way into BYD’s final products, the influence is undeniable. The Blade Battery’s design—focused on maximizing range while minimizing fire risk—was partly inspired by the concepts explored during Apple’s EV research phase, claims the report.
It’s too bad Apple couldn’t figure out how to make an electric car. All they’ve done for the iPhone was to add a camera button.
