March 20 – Domestic media reported that BYD Co., Ltd. Chairman and President Wang Chuanfu recently met with Apple CEO Tim Cook at Apple's China headquarters in Shanghai. The meeting covered smart manufacturing technologies and products showcased by Apple suppliers such as BYD Electronics, Lens Technology, and Changying Precision.
Wang Chuanfu and Cook toured BYD's exhibition booth together, but the content of the meeting has not been disclosed.
Some netizens speculate that Wang Chuanfu may have shared car-making technologies with Cook or discussed the possibility of Apple entering the automotive market directly.
Apple had previously planned to launch an electric vehicle project but canceled it due to fierce competition, with some employees being reassigned to other departments.
This news has drawn attention from the entire automotive industry, including executives from companies such as Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun, Li Auto CEO Li Xiang, and XPeng Motors CEO He Xiaopeng.
Li Xiang believes that Apple's decision to focus on artificial intelligence was a wise strategic move and that the timing was right.
