Apple in 'Early-Stage' Talks With Chinese EV Battery Makers for Apple Car

[DanBig]

Did anyone catch the quip Craig Federighi through out when he was teleporting around the campus? 'I should have taken the car'

mmm... If that's not a clue on the coming car I don't know how big a brick we need 😁

 

[WWP99]

And on the day US and China goes to war, all these batteries will suddenly stop working.

 

[brendu]

Why China again?! Stop relying the Chinese still!

Because Biden blocked our ability to mine the rare earth minerals required to produce these batteries.

 

[brendu]

I'm pretty sure if Apple had a realistic alternative to China, they would jump at it. As it is at the moment, their supply chain in China cannot be replicated anywhere else, so Apple's hands are effectively tied.

If only there was a company with the money in the bank necessary to create a supply chain capable of rivaling China…. oh wait…

 

[ctmriguy]

If Apple cannot make the car without relying on China for batteries, they should not make the car.

Very disappointed to read this story. Hopefully the ultimately make the right decision and avoid China.

 

[name99]

I have zero faith Apple will ever successfully launch a vehicle.

“We've learned and struggled for a few years here figuring out how to make a decent phone car. PC guys are not going to just figure this out. They're not going to just walk in.”

“There’s no chance that the iPhone Apple Car is going to get any significant market share. No chance."

“It’s kind of one more entrant into an already very busy space with lots of choice for consumers”

"Apple has attracted much attention at first, but they have still remained a niche manufacturer."

 

[Dremmel]

How about non-Apple products and other consumer goods that you own made in China?

Okay I don't think you are getting this. I don't want to buy anything whatsoever made in China. Apple make a point of flaunting their moral goodness, so I'd expect them to take the lead. My iPhone is ancient and I won't update it until they are made somewhere else.
Most of my tech appears to be made in Japan and Taiwan which is a surprise, but not all of it. Apple should Walk the Walk 'cause heaven knows they Talk the Talk enough.

 

[spotlight07]

Fear not. The expensive new cars of 2025 will be the affordable used cars of 2032!

Will the batteries last that long? An iPhone battery lasts about two years before it needs to be replaced so I don’t quite understand what a used EV market will look like. Also by that time car-ownership model may switch to car-sharing model for many people.

 

[wanha]

If only there was a company with the money in the bank necessary to create a supply chain capable of rivaling China…. oh wait…

Apple is already working on diversifying their supply chain, but the scope of their supply chain is so immense that it will not happen in a matter of months, but years.

And even then, it depends on which countries will have suppliers that have enough skilled labor that is cheap enough and able to cope with the scale of Apple's operations.

Apple is already one of the most vertically integrated companies in the world, but even they simply cannot vertically integrate everything, and vertical integration always comes with stark strategic tradeoffs.

PS. If we could leave out the condescending tone and actually try to converse like human beings, we might both learn something from each other.

 

[wanha]

It’s a new product category though. I’d prefer they wait until they can source it elsewhere. But of course capitalism etc etc

Exactly. Apple's biggest problem might be their size, because in order to grow at - say, even 10% a year - they need more and more sales each year to achieve that.

To say they will accept growth that is less than that will not fly with shareholders.

This is why Apple has almost no choice but to go after the biggest and most lucrative markets, almost regardless of whether they want to or not.

Capitalism :/

 

[diamond.g]

Your "US made" Tesla, @Apple2GS ...

2020 Made in America Auto Index

Key Points About the 2020 Made in America Auto Index. Find out what percentage of your vehicle's value contributes to the overall well-being of the US economy.

www.american.edu

Looks like it is the only EV in the top 20.

 

[Reason077]

Will the batteries last that long? An iPhone battery lasts about two years before it needs to be replaced so I don’t quite understand what a used EV market will look like.

Automotive batteries last much longer than phone batteries, for many reasons. eg:

• Active (liquid) heating/cooling to maintain optimal temperatures
• Chemistry optimised for long-term cycling rather than just specific energy
• Far fewer charge/discharge cycles per year (20,000 miles is < 100 cycles on a car battery, where as many phones will do 100 cycles in 3 months)
• Battery management software more tuned for longevity (for example, avoids charging to 100% or discharging to zero unless necessary)
• etc

Most car makers warranty their batteries for 8 years, and in most cases they should last much longer than that.

In addition, the LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) chemistry talked about here has even longer cycle life properties than the more common Nickel-based chemistries found in your phone battery (and most electric cars today).