Musk: "I Tried to Sell Tesla to Apple but Was Rejected"

Questions Raised About Apple's Next-Generation Battery
Tesla Stock Declines for Two Consecutive Days... Apple Stock Rises

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, revealed an anecdote that he tried to sell Tesla to Apple but was rejected. This is interpreted as an attempt to dispel concerns over reports that Apple is preparing to launch an electric autonomous vehicle in 2024.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

On the 22nd (local time), Musk responded to a tweet mentioning Apple's electric vehicle launch preparations, stating, "During the dark period when we were preparing to launch the Model 3, I tried to meet with Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, to explore the possibility of selling Tesla to Apple, but Cook refused."

Musk particularly emphasized that Tesla's stock price at the time was only one-tenth of its current value, highlighting that the current situation between Apple and Tesla is different from the past.

He also addressed reports that Apple is preparing next-generation lithium iron phosphate batteries, stating, "Tesla is already producing mid-sized vehicles using lithium iron phosphate batteries at the Shanghai factory."

Musk further claimed, "Monocell-type batteries are electrically impossible. The maximum voltage is low." He added, "They probably connected the (battery) cells in series like our battery pack structure."

On the same day, Tesla and Apple's stock prices moved in opposite directions again compared to the previous day. Tesla fell 1.5%, while Apple rose 2.8%. Tesla's stock declined for two consecutive days since its inclusion in the S&P 500 index.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.