Apple is currently in settlement talks with electric battery maker company A123 Systems after it filed a lawsuit against the tech giant. A123 Systems claimed Apple poached five employees to set up its battery division. The lawsuit increases speculation that Apple plans to develop an electric car in the near future.
Apple looking to resolve the lawsuit
The battery maker filed the lawsuit in a Massachusetts federal court in February. The company claims Apple had an aggressive campaign last year to entice top employees who performed testing and critical development activities. Yesterday Apple filed a motion to bide more time. The tech giant is also looking at ways to reach a resolution with the battery maker. Neither a spokesperson for Apple or A123 Systems commented on the matter.
Concerns involving agreement contracts
The lawsuit names the five employees Apple poached and states that it violated the non-compete and non-disclosure agreements the employees signed. Non-compete agreements are unenforceable in most states except Massachusetts.
A123 Systems creates energy storage systems for industrial and commercial applications. One of the company’s highlights includes advanced energy storage for electric-drive vehicles. The company also boasts that it has built more lithium-ion hybrid systems than any other company. The batteries run transit buses throughout the world.
Apple purportedly has plans to develop an electric vehicle slated for a 2020 release. According to last month’s report from Bloomberg, unnamed sources claim the tech giant is building a group of about 200 employees, most of whom are experts on things like batteries and robotics.
The Cupertino tech giant already revolutionized the smartphone and tablet computer markets with mobile products. Apple is currently in the process of changing the smartwatch and the wearable industry. Next week, the iPhone maker is set to hold an event, which is expected to focus on the Apple Watch. Although the watch is expected to reach retail next month, key details such as price and the official launch date are still unknown.
