The Blade battery, now a key feature of China's BYD cars, is reported to have been powered by Apple's first contribution.
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Apple has been working with Chinese automaker BYD for several years as part of its now-delayed automotive project, focusing on long-range battery development. Intersting Engineering writes about it.
This collaboration, which until recently remained a secret, played a key role in shaping modern battery technology, according to various sources.
The partnership began around 2017. The two companies worked together on a battery system using lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) cells. Their goal was to create safer and more efficient batteries for electric vehicles (EVs).
The technology was supposed to provide a longer range and improved safety compared to conventional electric vehicle batteries of the time. Although Apple does not own the rights to BYD's current Blade battery technology, this collaboration shows how seriously the tech giant has taken its ambitions to enter the automotive market.
For the past decade, Apple spent about $1 billion a year on its automotive project, often called one of the “next big things,” before it was officially canceled in February.
The battery system, developed by Apple together with BYD, was specially configured for Apple's intended electric car. Apple engineers contributed their expertise in advanced battery design and thermal management, while BYD contributed manufacturing capabilities and breakthroughs with LFP cells.
This collaboration provided valuable insights, although Apple never owned the Blade battery technology. .
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000BYD's Blade battery is now used in all electric vehicles, helping the company boost sales. By 2023, BYD has sold 3 million electric and hybrid vehicles, up from just 179,054 units three years earlier. This success helped BYD briefly overtake Tesla as the world's largest seller of electric vehicles, cementing its place as the largest automaker
The partnership began nearly a decade ago when Apple was looking for core technologies for its automotive project. BYD engineers have reportedly demonstrated early versions of their Blade battery, impressing Apple executives with its security and storage potential. At the time, Apple was already working on various battery technologies, including nickel and alkaline batteries, and had invested millions in the development of battery packs. The goal was to combine the efforts of both companies to create a safe, long-range battery system for Apple's electric car.
That collaboration, which until recently remained secret, played a key role in shaping today's battery technology, according to various reports from sources familiar with the project. The two companies worked together on a battery system using lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) cells. Their goal was to create safer and more efficient batteries for electric vehicles. The technology was supposed to provide a longer range and improved safety compared to conventional electric vehicle batteries of the time. Although Apple does not own the rights to BYD's current Blade battery technology, the collaboration shows how seriously the tech giant has taken its ambitions to enter the automotive market.
For the past decade, Apple has spent about $1 billion a year on its automotive a project that was often called one of the “next big things” before it was officially canceled in February. However, Apple's car project was not a complete loss. The work done in battery technology helped the company develop other products, such as the Vision Pro headset and the Neural Engine AI processor, which is found in many of the company's devices today. It also set the stage for Apple's growing interest in robotics, showing how a canceled project can still spur innovation in unexpected ways.