Another piece of the Apple Car project may have fallen into place.
Apple is said to secretly be working with a Chinese firm on research and development of auto batteries, suggesting it may be interested in more than just software for self-driving cars, according to Yicai Global on Thursday.
It’s rumored that Contemporary Amperex Technology has signed a confidentiality agreement with Apple. Few other details were available, and CATL has officially refused to comment.
Apple has recently been spotted testing modified existing vehicles on public roads. The company was rumored to be building a complete electric car, although its “Project Titan” effort has been thought to have been switched to focus on software within the past year.
If the CATL partnership is authentic, Apple may have reached an expected decision on whether or not to move ahead with an internally designed car. The company would need an especially powerful battery to match the 200-mile-plus range on vehicles like Tesla’s Model 3.
Apple could still wind up spending billions of dollars if it wants to enter the market and would still need to develop new technologies and contract with outside suppliers and assembly firms to achieve this. Tesla has an inherent advantage in the battery arena thanks to the Nevada-based Gigafactory, which may eventually be joined by several other factories worldwide.
Earlier rumors hinted that Apple was targeting a 2021 release date, but it’s possible that the changing gears in the project could translate into a delay.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via AppleInsider and Yicai Global