Elon Musk has claimed that he once tried to meet with Apple CEO Tim Cook about the possibility of the tech giant acquiring Tesla — but that Cook “refused to take the meeting.”
Tesla boss Musk tweeted the comment on Tuesday, December 22 — the same day that a Reuters reports claimed Apple is renewing its efforts to have an electric vehicle on the market by 2024.
The Tesla boss wrote: “During the darkest days of the Model 3 program, I reached out to Tim Cook to discuss the possibility of Apple acquiring Tesla (for 1/10 of our current value). He refused to take the meeting.”
Looking at Tesla’s 17-year history, it seems likely that Musk approached Cook in 2017 when the company was struggling with Model 3 production in the electric vehicle’s early days.
Musk’s comments came after Reuters said in its report that the tech company is working on a “breakthrough” battery design, with the Tesla CEO in another tweet questioning the proposed design, details of which were provided by the news outlet’s source.
The battery will reportedly utilize a “monocell” design that would give Apple’s vehicle greater range over other electric cars, and could also use a lithium iron phosphate chemistry that would make it less likely to overheat compared to other types of lithium-ion batteries.
“Strange, if true,” Musk tweeted in response to Apple’s reported battery design, adding, “Tesla already uses iron-phosphate for medium range cars made in our Shanghai factory. A monocell is electrochemically impossible, as max voltage is ~100X too low. Maybe they meant cells bonded together, like our structural battery pack?”
During the darkest days of the Model 3 program, I reached out to Tim Cook to discuss the possibility of Apple acquiring Tesla (for 1/10 of our current value). He refused to take the meeting.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 22, 2020
Apple’s work on an electric car has been in and out of the news for the last six years or so. True to form, the company has revealed little about any plans it might have regarding a so-called “Apple Car,” though various leaks over the years indicate the company has certainly been exploring the space. This week’s report suggests the Cupertino, California company even has a date in mind for the vehicle’s release.
Digital Trends has reached out to Apple for comment on Musk’s claims and we will update this article if we hear back.
