Apple Car batteries might be manufactured in the United States – Report

Taiwanese publisher, DigiTimes reports the Cupertino tech giant is looking to produce batteries for its alleged autonomous electronic Apple Car in the United States. Apple long term iPhone assembling partner, Foxconn will reportedly manufacturer batteries for the company’s first passenger automobile.

Known as Project Titan, the Cupertino tech company allegedly started working on Apple Car in 2014. But internal conflicts lead to the abeyance of the project. Since 2020, the company’s interest in Project Titan has revived and reports claim that Apple would launch the car in 2024 equipped with TSMC self-driving chip, new revolutionary battery been shared regularly. Just the news of the alleged Apple Car added more than $100 billion to the company’s market value.

For the Apple Car battery supply chain, Cupertino aims for manufacturers at home

Earlier Reuters reported that Apple is in talks with two different Chinese battery suppliers, CATL and BYD for the production of batteries that could be used in the upcoming electric vehicle. Contrary to the previous claim, the report claims that to reduce the company’s reliance on Chinese manufacturers, Apple will source the batteries order to Foxconn which will set up factories in the United States.

Apple, which reportedly is mulling manufacture batteries for Apple Car in the US, may work with Taiwanese makers rather than Chinese ones, according to industry sources.

Taiwan-based Foxconn or Advanced Lithium Electrochemistry (Aleees), both of which plan to set up factories in the US, stand a chance of working with Apple on car batteries, the sources said.

Apple reportedly was looking to work with China’s two largest battery suppliers, CATL and BYD, but Apple’s insistence on using US-made batteries for ‌Apple Car‌ is making such partnerships seem unlikely, said the sources. None of these companies have confirmed the reports.

Previously, Reuters reported that Cupertino tech company is working on a “breakthrough battery technology” with monocell LFP, or lithium iron phosphate battery design for a longer range and with fewer overheating issues than other lithium-ion batteries. Sources familiar with the matter told DigiTimes that Apple will create a separate supply for the advanced battery which is presumed to encourage Foxconn (Hon Hai) to set up manufacturing units in the country sooner.

Apple may want a separate supply chain for lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP) from lithium-manganese-cobalt-oxide battery (MNC), which could propel Taiwanese LFP suppliers to set up factories in the US sooner. Foxconn (Hon Hai) and its partner Gigasolar have prioritized the US among other markets, while Aleees, an anode material supplier and a member of the Foxconn-led MIH EV development platform, is also looking to open factories in the US, the sources said.