Small Korean firm rumored to co-develop advanced hollow batteries for Project Titan

Apple Car concept Aristomenis Tsirbas image 003

Apple’s rumored electric (autonomous?) vehicle, internally referred to as Project Titan, should use custom-designed batteries developed by engineers that Apple poached from A123 Systems, the makers of advanced batteries. According to a new report Tuesday, Apple has now tapped scientists and engineers from a small, unnamed South Korean firm to help co-develop hollow battery packs for Project Titan.

A non-disclosure agreement concerning co-development of batteries for Project Titan has reportedly been signed between Apple and an unnamed Korean firm, described as a small company with twenty employees who are “expert technologists in batteries.”

The report goes on to describe the South Korean company’s patented hollow battery technology as potentially being utilized for Project Titan batteries. The company’s proprietary technology apparently uses hollow, cylindrical-shaped lithium-ion secondary batteries no thicker than a pair of fingers.

From the report:

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.

Apple reportedly opted not to use standardized circular or rectangular batteries that are widely used for current electric vehicles because this Korean company’s hollow battery technology is better than existing solutions.

Source: ETNews