As we already heard, Tesla could have been part of Apple if Tim Cook had accepted Elon Musk’s offer when the company was going through bad times. Now, it looks like Apple reactivates interest in the automotive industry.
According to Reuters, Apple is advancing both autonomous vehicle technology and its own battery development that would take electric vehicles to a new level.
The design of these batteries would be key in the company’s automotive strategy since they would not only be cheaper than the competition but would also have a much greater autonomy.
Apple is planning to use a unique “single-cell” design that increases the volume of individual battery cells and frees space inside the battery pack by eliminating bags and modules that contain battery materials. This results in having more active material inside the battery, which gives the car a potentially longer range.
The company is also looking at battery chemistry called LFP, or lithium iron phosphate, which is less prone to overheating and, therefore safer than other types of lithium-ion batteries.
Another interesting point revealed by Reuters is that the Apple car could have multiple LiDAR sensors, the same technology that its iPhone 12 Pro or iPad Pro already has, which allow it to capture a three-dimensional view of the road even if there is no light.
What’s more, it would not be ruled out that, just as it has presented its own processor and would be working on its own 5G modem, it also has its own LiDAR sensors in development to become completely independent from the rest of the industry.
