Before the cancellation of Apple’s ambitious car project, known as Project Titan, Apple had considered using BYD’s Blade batteries in its electric vehicles (EVs). According to recent reports, Apple worked with BYD, China’s largest EV battery maker, for several years on developing long-range batteries tailored for the Apple Car. However, despite the collaboration, Apple ultimately decided to move in a different direction and dropped the partnership.
BYD’s Blade Battery: A Missed Opportunity for Apple
The Blade battery, introduced by BYD, has revolutionized the EV industry with its innovative design, allowing for safer and longer-range electric driving. The success of the Blade battery has made BYD one of the largest electric vehicle producers in China, even briefly surpassing Tesla in sales. While Apple showed interest in this technology, it never reached production due to changes in the company’s priorities.
Project Titan’s Challenges
Apple’s Project Titan faced numerous delays and leadership changes over its decade-long development. Initially, the company explored both self-driving capabilities and traditional EV features. The project went through several phases, shifting between autonomous driving goals and more conventional vehicle designs. Despite investing over $10 billion into the project, Apple struggled to finalize a clear vision for its EV.
Apple’s Learnings from Project Titan
While the Apple Car never came to fruition, the company gained valuable knowledge in robotics, artificial intelligence, and battery systems through its years of research. Although Apple has since moved away from the EV market, the Blade battery technology is now being used by BYD in some of its most popular EV models.
Apple’s car ambitions may have faded, but the technological advancements made during the project will likely influence future products, from smart devices to AI-powered innovations.
