Apple partnered with Chinese automaker for now-canceled car project

Apple collaborated with Chinese automaker BYD for years to develop a safer, long-range battery system for its now-canceled car project, according to a Bloomberg report.

The tech giant contributed engineering expertise in areas like heat management and advanced battery packs, while BYD provided manufacturing resources and its proprietary lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery technology.

The LFP batteries were designed to be safer and more efficient than typical electric vehicle batteries. However, Apple scrapped its car plans in February after investing about $1 billion annually since 2014.

While the project didn't result in a vehicle, the knowledge gained from the battery work reportedly influenced other Apple innovations, such as the Vision Pro headset and the Neural Engine chip.