Detail

“Project Titan” is Apple’s decade-long attempt to create an unmanned electric car, and it was never successful. The company invested nearly $10 billion in development but eventually threw it all away. Part of that effort was a collaboration with Chinese automaker BYD, known for its batteries, according to an article in Bloomberg.

As reported, companies were producing a special battery designed specifically for driverless cars. This partnership appears to have been terminated before the cancellation of Project Titan, but the report does not offer an answer as to why this move was made.

• One option could be that Apple realizes the futility of this collaboration. Perhaps the company knew for a long time that the project would be closed, and therefore there was no point in continuing.
• Another reason may be US sanctions. Apple is gradually moving iPhone production to India to reduce dependence on China in case of war and deepen sanctions. Therefore, such a step looks quite logical: it is better to change the contractor in advance rather than hastily reacting to sudden changes that will lead to financial losses and production delays.

Although BYD has not been subject to direct sanctions so far, it is still on the agenda of governments. The company is one of the largest Chinese machinery manufacturers operating in the European and US markets. As in Canada, additional taxes were recently imposed on electric car imports from China, and BYD is one of the companies that had to pay this payment. There is no guarantee that direct sanctions will not be imposed against him in the future – for example, a ban on financial transactions or a ban on the import of goods.

Realizing that the situation in the trade war between the USA and China was getting worse, Apple could have decided to end the partnership. It’s unlikely we’ll find out anytime soon if this is the case, because The company “Apple” does not comment on any rumors. He hasn’t even announced his car, meaning it doesn’t officially exist and is allegedly not in development. Everything we know so far has come from rumors and information leaks.

Gurman’s report claims Apple became interested in BYD engineers demonstrating the technology to management Knife. It is a new lithium-iron-phosphate battery developed for electric vehicles and known for its safety, durability and long life. The blade system was successful in China, so the American manufacturer wanted the technology for itself.