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

Apple-car-batteryLast 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.

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

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.

Related Roundup: Apple Car

Top Rated Comments

DrumApple Avatar
99 months ago
They should really just move their headquarters to somewhere in Asia too. I mean, what do they honestly produce in the USA?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
polterbyte Avatar
99 months ago
They should really just move their headquarters to somewhere in Asia too. I mean, what do they honestly produce in the USA?
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?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheHateMachine Avatar
99 months ago
What I really want to know is how many different kinds of bands will this car release with?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr_Brightside_@ Avatar
99 months ago
They should really just move their headquarters to somewhere in Asia too. I mean, what do they honestly produce in the USA?
They build the nMP there ;)

I bet Apple will roll out a vehicle before we've fully switched to the new streetcars :)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
efekurnaz Avatar
99 months ago
Yea we already have the prototype:

Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cardfan Avatar
99 months ago
Thanks for the reminder to check and see if I sold all my apple stock. Yep, i did.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
apple wallet drivers license feature

Apple Said iPhone Driver's Licenses Would Expand to These 8 U.S. States… Two Years Ago

Thursday March 14, 2024 7:33 am PDT by
In just four U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports, businesses, and venues. Adoption of the feature has been slow since Apple first announced it in September 2021, with IDs in the Wallet app only available in Arizona,...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
OLED iPad Air

iPad Air Next on Apple's OLED Tablet Roadmap Following iPad Pro

Friday March 15, 2024 3:30 am PDT by
The iPad Air will be the next Apple tablet to adopt OLED display panel technology following its upcoming OLED iPad Pro models, according to an updated forecast from research firm Omdia (via The Elec). "In 2028, we expect the iPad Air to go OLED as well, with the iPad Air using single-stack and the iPad Pro using two-stack tandem OLEDs," said Omdia researcher Kang Min-soo, speaking on...
Walmart MacBook Air M1

Walmart Begins Selling MacBook Air With M1 Chip for $699 in U.S.

Friday March 15, 2024 6:57 am PDT by
Walmart today announced that it has started selling the MacBook Air with the M1 chip in the U.S., with pricing set at a very reasonable $699. The laptop can be ordered now on Walmart.com, and it will be available soon at select Walmart stores. This is the first time that customers can purchase a Mac that is sold directly by Walmart, the company said in a press release. Some other retailers...