Apple developed electric vehicles for 10 years
In the end, it was revealed that BYD had joined hands.
Developing electric vehicle batteries through cooperation
Apple Car Rendering / Photo Source = ‘CarsCoops’
It became a hot topic when it was belatedly revealed that Apple, an American manufacturer of electronic products such as the iPhone, had joined hands with BYD, a Chinese electric car company. In particular, Apple is attracting attention because it decided to develop a self-driving electric vehicle, Apple Car, but canceled the plan in February of this year.
According to a report by Bloomberg News, in the past, Apple was known to have joined hands with BYD to develop LFP (lithium iron phosphate) blade batteries in order to materialize its electric vehicle project. The two companies began cooperation in 2017.
Photo source = ‘WIRED’ Photo source = ‘Forbes Middle East’
Apple Car, an electric vehicle developed by Apple
Collaborating for batteries that extend driving range
After BYD showed Apple executives an early version of the blade battery used in electric vehicles, Apple is said to have been impressed by it. Apple aimed to create a customized battery based on the blade battery to fit its electric vehicle and increase the driving range of the electric vehicle.
Apple is known to have continued research on battery cells using nickel and alkaline even before receiving a cooperation proposal from BYD. Apple engineers provided expertise in advanced battery packs and thermal management, and BYD used its lithium iron phosphate battery technology and manufacturing capabilities to build an advanced battery system.
Apple Car Rendering / Photo Source = ‘CarsCoops’ Photo Source = ‘BYD’
Apple ultimately cancels its electric car plan
BYD continues to grow with battery technology
The LFP battery, created by combining Apple’s technology, is believed to have had a significant impact on BYD’s emergence as the world’s largest electric vehicle company. On the other hand, Apple is known to have been spending more than $1 billion (approximately 1.378 trillion won) every year on the electric vehicle project that has been in progress for 10 years, but canceled its electric vehicle plan in February of this year due to lack of business feasibility.
BYD, which has continued to grow based on its LFP battery technology, is said to have ranked first in the global electric vehicle market by selling 1.841 million electric vehicles (including PHEV) from January to July of this year, according to market research firm SNE Research. In terms of pure electric vehicle sales alone, it is about 835,000 units, closely following Tesla, which recorded total sales of 954,000 units.
Photo source = ‘Global Times’ Photo source = ‘Morningstar’
Battery ownership transferred to BYD
Criticism of doing something good for China
In particular, as the proportion of Chinese consumers preferring domestic vehicles over imported cars increased in the Chinese market, BYD’s sales growth was also evident. BYD’s sales volume increased by 25.7% compared to the same period last year, and it is expected to continue to solidify its strong position in the electric vehicle market in the future.
Meanwhile, BYD claimed that the LFP blade battery was independently developed by BYD engineers. It is reported that BYD currently owns 100% of the property rights and patent rights for the LFP blade battery. Apple’s experience in battery development is known to have helped in the development of Vision Pro and Neural Engine AI processors, but it seems difficult to avoid criticism that it had an influence on the growth of BYD, which plays a major role in China’s electric vehicle industry.
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