Apple’s secret partnership with Chinese automaker BYD revealed

[JACK AYLMER]

A SECRET PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN APPLE AND ONE OF CHINA’S BIGGEST AUTO COMPANIES IS COMING TO LIGHT.

ACCORDING TO BLOOMBERG, THE TECH GIANT TAPPED CHINESE EV MAKER B-Y-D TO BUILD A CUSTOM BATTERY FOR ITS ILL-FATED APPLE CAR.

‘PROJECT TITAN’ WAS APPLE’S DECADE-LONG SELF-DRIVING VEHICLE ENDEAVOR THAT ULTIMATELY GOT SCRAPPED-

AFTER THE INITIATIVE BURNT THROUGH AN ESTIMATED 10 BILLION DOLLARS. ALL EMPLOYEES WORKING ON THE PROJECT WERE EITHER LAID OFF OR RE-ASSIGNED.

BUT BACK WHEN THE PROJECT WAS STILL MOVING FORWARD-

APPLE REPORTEDLY FIRST BECAME INTERESTED IN B-Y-D AS A POTENTIAL PARTNER WHEN THE AUTOMAKER DEBUTED ITS BLADE BATTERY SYSTEM.

THIS WAS A NEW LITHIUM IRON PHOSPHATE BATTERY DESIGNED FOR EVS WHICH RECEIVED PRAISE FOR ITS INCREASED SAFETY, DURABILITY, AND LIFESPAN.

BLOOMBERG REPORTS THE TWO COMPANIES REACHED AN INITIAL AGREEMENT TO COLLABORATE IN 20-17-

WORKING TOGETHER FOR YEARS BEFORE APPLE WALKED AWAY FROM THE BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP.

THOUGH A SPECIFIC REASON WAS NOT DISCLOSED-

TRADE SANCTIONS BETWEEN THE U.S. AND CHINA, AS WELL AS HEIGHTENED FEDERAL SCRUTINY OVER WHERE EV COMPONENTS ARE SOURCED IS SPECULATED TO HAVE HINDERED THE PARTNERSHIP.

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