Apple car: iPhone maker seeks to settle lawsuit

Apple Inc has said it is exploring a potential resolution of a lawsuit in which it is accused of poaching employees from car battery specialist maker A123 Systems as part of Apple's attempts to lead the electric car market.

The California-based Apple has asked a federal judge in Boston for more time to respond to A123 Systems LLC's request for a court order barring one of its former employees from breaking his employment agreement and preventing Apple from encouraging him to do so(See: Apple to appeal $533 mn award to Texas firm in patents case).

In its lawsuit last month, Waltham, Massachusetts-based A123 also accused five former employees of violating non-disclosure agreements as they either went to work for Cupertino, California-based Apple or planned to go.

Apple is pushing its team to begin production of a car as early as 2020, people familiar with the effort have said.

The time-frame -- automakers typically spend five to seven years developing a car -- underscores the company's aggressive goals and could set the stage for a battle for customers with Tesla Motors Inc. and General Motors Co.

Apple's secretive project may not lead to a car, people familiar with the matter have said, noting that the company often works on projects that don't get a final green light.

A123's lawsuit offered a unique window into Apple's efforts, showing that the maker of iPhones was looking for engineers with automotive experience a year ago when hiring away from A123 Mujeeb Ijaz, a former Ford Motor Co engineer. He had founded A123's Venture Technologies division, which focused on materials research, cell product development and advanced concepts.

Wanxiang Group Corp. won approval from the U.S. government to acquire A123 out of bankruptcy reorganization in 2013.

The battery-maker filed for bankruptcy in October 2012 after a previous deal with Wanxiang was scuttled amid congressional Republicans' reluctance to allow its sale to a Chinese company.