TOKYO -- Two years ago this month, a man in a suit showed up at Japanese auto parts maker Sanden's Texas office. The man had a folder, and said he was from Apple.
The man, who introduced himself as a parts manager, said Apple wanted to make electric vehicles and needed Sanden's help on high-performance components, according to people familiar with the conversation. Slowly and deliberately, he presented schematics of an EV and air conditioner parts.
