Apple’s rumoured vehicle has been one of the most mysterious projects under the helm of Tim Cook. While the rumour mill’s been hard at work, there really isn’t much in terms of concrete info about the elusive vehicle. Now, we know that Apple is manufacturing batteries for an autonomous vehicle in the US.
Apple Car’s ramping up
According to a report on DigiTimes, Apple “… may work with Taiwanese makers rather than Chinese ones…” Two Taiwanese battery manufacturers, Foxconn and Advanced Lithium Electrochemistry both plan to establish factories in the US. Both are also in the running to seal a contract with Apple to make its vehicle batteries once they’re settled.
It looks like Apple is insisting “… on using US-made batteries for Apple Car,” which makes a partnership with a Chinese manufacturer unlikely at this point. We can only guess why the US company is so insistent.
We have to remember that the majority of the smartphone maker’s production happens in China at the moment — probably because making things in the US is far more expensive. “In the iPhone, for example, Apple uses glass made in Kentucky by Corning Glass, while other parts, such as the parts of the camera, are made by suppliers in Japan. With the Apple Car, which is still some years away, Apple is likely to take a similar approach to diversify its production supply chain,” MacRumours details.
In the past few years, we’ve seen Apple dabble more and more in unexpected industries. It’s invested a considerable amount of resources in its entertainment offering, gaming subscriptions and most recently, a credit card. While we await the Apple Car, we’re just hoping Jobs is still right-side-up in his grave.
