Apple aims to manufacture the batteries that will be used in its autonomous vehicle in the United States, rather than sourcing them from suppliers in other countries, according to a new report from DigiTimes.
From the report:
Apple, which reportedly is mulling manufacture batteries for Apple Car in the US, may work with Taiwanese makers rather than Chinese ones, according to industry sources.
Taiwan-based Foxconn or Advanced Lithium Electrochemistry (Aleees), both of which plan to set up factories in the US, stand a chance of working with Apple on car batteries, the sources said.
Apple reportedly was looking to work with China's two largest battery suppliers, CATL and BYD, but Apple's insistence on using US-made batteries for Apple Car is making such partnerships seem unlikely, said the sources. None of these companies have confirmed the reports.
The report says that Foxconn, one of Apple's largest suppliers, and Advanced Lithium Electrochemistry, plan to set up plants in the United States, where the Apple Car battery production may take place. While the majority of Apple's products are assembled in China, many components are sourced from suppliers all around the world.
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.
