BYD doesn't just make cars. They make Ipads for Apple.

These guys started out as a battery company and in the past 4 years have vaulted to become the world's largest producer of EV car, passing Tesla.

A Tesla rival now builds stuff for Apple

Electric car company BYD is assembling more than 30% of Apple's iPads

By Ben Kesslen, Quartz Media

PublishedYesterday

Tesla’s biggest competitor has a side hustle assembling iPads.

A new report from the Wall Street Journal says that the Chinese company BYD, which makes EVs, is now assembling more than 30% of Apple’s iPads. The company said it has more than 10,000 engineers and 100,000 other workers dedicated to putting together Apple products.

While it might seem strange that an EV company is involved in iPad production, there are actually a good deal of similarities between the two. Like EV cars, smartphones and tablets rely on software, batteries, and chips. Most cars also now come armed with a slew of built-in smart electronics. The Journal said that cars and phones are becoming increasingly integrated in China.

Xiaomi , a smartphone company, started making sedans this year, and the Journal reported that BYD , short for “build your dreams,” is involved in the assembly of both its phones and car technology. BYD also works for Huawei on its phones and EV software.

In a trip to China in March, Apple CEO Tim Cook met with BYD chairman Wang Chuanfu, where they discussed iPad production, the Journal said. Cook has said BYD is “pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.”