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Apple Partners With South Korean Company to Develop Hollow Batteries for 'Project Titan' Car Project

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Last year, it was reported that Apple has poached Samsung engineers to develop battery technologies for its widely rumored electric vehicle, and now another unnamed South Korean company may be involved with the project.

Korean site ETNews now reports that a small Korean battery company, which comprises 20 or so employees described as "expert technologists in batteries," has been tapped to co-develop batteries for the so-called Apple Car.

Apple is planning to independently develop its own batteries for electric vehicles based on the Korean company's patented hollow battery technology, according to the report. They are described as cylindrical lithium-ion secondary batteries with a thickness of two fingers and uniquely hollow centers.
Because batteries create most heat from the center due to chemical reactions, this company has created batteries where air flow and cooling are smooth in the center of batteries and this can minimize installation of separate cooling device or a device that prevents over-heating. They are also advantageous in high output. By utilizing this space, it is easy to design parallel connection, which is to expand battery capacity, in these batteries.
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The report does not disclose the company's name due to its recently signed non-disclosure agreement with Apple.

MacRumors went searching and uncovered a European Patent Office patent application for a hollow type secondary battery filed by Korean company Orange Power. According to its website, the company has 25 employees in R&D, and 33 total, which together with the patent application suggests it could be Apple's secretive partner. At this point, however, it remains purely speculation.

Apple recently appointed Bob Mansfield, a longtime senior executive at the company, to oversee development of the electric vehicle, said to be codenamed "Project Titan" internally. He is believed to lead a team of hundreds of engineers from the likes of Tesla, Ford, GM, battery company A123 Systems, and elsewhere. The vehicle could be street-ready between 2019 and 2021, according to various reports.

Apple Granted Patent for 'Articulated Vehicle'

TTC-streetcar.jpg
TTC streetcars in Toronto, Canada are articulated vehicles (Photo: Tom Ryaboi)​

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office today granted Apple with a patent, transferred from BAE Systems, for an invention titled "steering device for articulated vehicle." U.S. Patent No. 9,409,599, filed in July 2015, describes various steering devices for an articulated vehicle, such as a pivoting bus or transport truck. While vehicle-related, the patent's relation to Apple's electric vehicle is questionable.

Update: The "articulated vehicle" patent assigned to Apple was actually a typographical error made by the law firm handling the submission for BAE Systems. A Request for Certificate of Correction has been filed by the law firm to correct the error.
Upon reviewing the above-identified patent, Patentee noted a typographical error which should be corrected. Applicant erroneously listed the wrong Assignee on the Issue Fee Transmittal filed July 7, 2016. The assignment, noting the proper Assignee BAE SYSTMS HÄGGLUNDS AKTIEBOLAG, was submitted for recordation as set forth in 37 CFR 3.11 before issuance of the patent.

The error now sought to be corrected is inadvertent and of typographical nature, the correction of which does not constitute new matter or require reexamination.
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Article Link: Apple Partners With South Korean Company to Develop Hollow Batteries for 'Project Titan' Car Project
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2016/08/09/apple-car-hollow-batteries-korea/
Return Zero

Return Zero

macrumors 65816
Oct 2, 2013
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This actually sounds pretty cool. Not only would it allow for increased output current, but it would theoretically allow for faster and more efficient charging too. Reminds me of the brilliant thermal core in the Mac Pro (which I know may be a bitter subject to some right now, especially when reading rumors about Apple making cars).

I think most people don't realize the importance of self-driving electric vehicles. Read part two of Elon Musk's master plan. It is the future. There's only the matter of how soon it will get here and who will be the big players. With their size and tech prowess, Apple would be stupid to avoid it and merely "stick to computers".
 
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Jakexb

macrumors 6502a
Mar 18, 2014
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"steering device for articulated vehicle"

All on board the Apple bus!

Actually pretty smart. If the future is all about autonomous vehicles and personal vehicle ownership declines, you can imagine an increased need and increased feasibility for mass automated transit in popular corridors to complement the personal automated transit.

Automated car picks you up at home, drops you off just in time for the Apple Bus/Train/Whatever, you zip across to the other side of town, skipping freeway gridlock, where another automated car takes you right to the door of your destination.
 
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Designx

macrumors regular
Mar 15, 2012
194
209
DrumApple said:
They should really just move their headquarters to somewhere in Asia too. I mean, what do they honestly produce in the USA?
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Maybe the spaceship can take off and land somewhere in China where it should be. That's where the future market and tech will be. Building it here I think was a mistake - especially in California.
 
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H2SO4

macrumors 603
Nov 4, 2008
5,663
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polterbyte said:
Produce? Very little.

Design? Everything.

Guess which one is more valuable? Put it another way, which would you rather have as an American company, Foxconn or Apple?
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Ridiculous statement. They go hand in hand. Like businesses and customers. One is useless without the other.
 
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now i see it

macrumors G4
Jan 2, 2002
10,673
22,329
Apple phone wakes you up
Apple Watch goes on your wrist
Apple Jacks for breakfast (why not?)
Apple car to Apple train station
Apple train to work (at Apple)
Apple computer during the day
Apple for lunch

Where will it end?
 
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rolsskk

macrumors 6502
Sep 1, 2008
300
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Jakexb said:
"steering device for articulated vehicle"

All on board the Apple bus!

Actually pretty smart. If the future is all about autonomous vehicles and personal vehicle ownership declines, you can imagine an increased need and increased feasibility for mass automated transit in popular corridors to complement the personal automated transit.

Automated car picks you up at home, drops you off just in time for the Apple Bus/Train/Whatever, you zip across to the other side of town, skipping freeway gridlock, where another automated car takes you right to the door of your destination.
Click to expand...
When they mentioned the articulated vehicle, I was like "What in the world are they thinking?" But thinking on it some more, just look at the new Apple Campus being built, and how large it is, and what kind of population it's expected to have. Now picture automated shuttles that go around the campus, bringing people to various locations, as well as off-site parking lots to cut down on the congestion.
 
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S

Sandybox

macrumors regular
Jul 30, 2016
145
261
No doubt another USPTO grant of a patent for the bleedin' obvious. At some point in the future I look foward to the #saneonesvsthefanboys thread when Apple sues someone over this patent and sides are taken. Apple never patent troll - "oh yes they do"" - " oh no they don't" - repeat..........
 
mmomega

mmomega

macrumors demi-god
Dec 30, 2009
3,879
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DFW, TX
now i see it said:
Apple phone wakes you up
Apple Watch goes on your wrist
Apple Jacks for breakfast (why not?)
Apple car to Apple train station
Apple train to work (at Apple)
Apple computer during the day
Apple for lunch

Where will it end?
Click to expand...
Apple is Skynet, Skynet is Apple. Say it again. :)
 
S

Sandybox

macrumors regular
Jul 30, 2016
145
261
now i see it said:
Apple phone wakes you up
Apple Watch goes on your wrist
Apple Jacks for breakfast (why not?)
Apple car to Apple train station
Apple train to work (at Apple)
Apple computer during the day
Apple for lunch

Where will it end?
Click to expand...
Apple launch a new product? Nah, thats too far fetched.
 
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