Dyson to make electric cars from 2020
Dyson, the engineering company well known for their vacuum cleaners and fans are to make electric cars from 2020. They plan to spend £2bn (€2.25bn) in a “radical” new battery-powered electric car to be launched in just over two years time.
Dyson has said that they have had 400 staff working on the secret project for the past two years at its headquarters in Malmesbury, Wiltshire.
The car, as of yet does not exist and they do not even have a prototype yet. As well as that, a factory site has still to be chosen. If this is the situation and they have made an announcement, it certainly shows their confidence in this massive project.
Sir James declined to give further details of the project. "Competition for new technology in the automotive industry is fierce and we must do everything we can to keep the specifics of our vehicle confidential," he told staff in an email.
Important points that are undecided or secret include the firm's expected annual production total, the cost of the car, or its range or top speed.
Sir James Dyson, the founder and inventor said about £1bn would be spent on developing the car, with another £1bn on making the battery.
James Dyson certainly likes to be different. Back in 90’s, he was interviewed by Anthea Turner on Blue Peter about his new device to clean soot from the exhaust of diesel vehicles. it was the cyclone from his vacuum cleaner, put to a different use. On reflection of those days he said: "That is how long I have wanted to do this,"
James Dyson first hatched his idea for an electric motor in the late 1980s. Since then, he has developed motors and batteries and now he is able to bring all that expertise together in a new, electric car.
The exciting prospect of the launch of the new electric car is that is promised that it will be radical and different, because, as he put it, what is the point of making it like any other car?
If is anything like his hoovers, the new electric car will not be cheap and we can expect a certain amount of overpricing. When asked, how much would it be to put down a deposit on a new Dyson EV And he promised that it will not be cheap, James Dyson said he would have to think about it.
Development work will further take place at a former RAF base at Hullavington in Wiltshire, and staff will move into their new home in February.
James Dyson also said that his firm's car would look "radical and different", but will not be aimed at the mass market. The motor is designed and ready to go but the Dyson is still in the process of designing the car.
Sir James said he had been interested in developing filtration technology since the 1990’s to stop vehicle diesel emissions polluting the environment but the motor industry has not shown much interest in adopting this idea so he decided to build an electric car himself
The vacuum company clearly sees an opportunity here. As new designs become available, and prices come down, more consumers will be willing to try electric vehicles.
The big question is whether Dyson can muscle in on territory that the major manufacturers are already trying to make their own. And let's not forget Google's designs on the electric/self-driving market.
Tesla was able to build a new car brand from scratch, but only by producing a design which effectively moved the goalposts and changed people's expectations of what an electric car could provide. Dyson may very well be the next Tesla?
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