As more details surface about Apple’s once-ambitious Apple Car project, new revelations highlight a significant partnership with Chinese automaker BYD. Apple reportedly collaborated with BYD to develop custom batteries for the Apple Car, but despite years of development, the tech giant eventually decided to scrap the project.
According to a Bloomberg report, Apple was particularly interested in BYD’s Blade battery system, a cutting-edge technology that helped BYD become the largest electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer in China. This partnership was part of Project Titan, Apple’s decade-long, $10 billion initiative to build an electric, autonomous vehicle.
During the project’s peak, Apple enlisted high-profile talent like Alexander Hitzinger, a former Volkswagen and Porsche executive, and Mujeeb Ijaz, a battery engineer who worked alongside 50 other engineers to design custom batteries. Their work with BYD focused on the Blade battery, which was praised for its safety, energy density, and efficiency. In fact, BYD's Blade battery made such an impact that BYD briefly overtook Tesla as the top EV seller globally.
Despite the success of BYD’s battery in the broader EV market, Apple opted to end the partnership. The Apple Car was canceled as of February 2024, with Apple shifting its focus away from the automotive industry. The project’s demise has been attributed to leadership changes, delays, and shifting priorities over the years.
However, Apple’s investment wasn’t entirely in vain. The company gained extensive knowledge in areas like robotics, artificial intelligence, and battery systems. While the dream of an Apple Car may be over, some of this research could pave the way for future Apple products, like a smart home speaker equipped with a robotic arm, potentially one of the first innovations from Apple’s newly formed Robotics division.
Apple’s journey with BYD may have ended, but its legacy in battery innovation and autonomous technology will likely influence the next generation of Apple devices.