Dyson throws £2.5bn into a ‘unique’ electric Tesla car rival
VACUUM CLEANER mogul James Dyson has revealed that is company is to build electric cars, with a first model due for release in 2020.
The creator of those dryers that make the skin on your hands go all wobbly told a small gaggle of hacks that he had been planning a different kind of car since the 80s, repurposing the cyclone technology from his vacuums.
With the UK due to switch to all-electric cars in 2040, the market for new designs is going to be huge, and Dyson’s surprise entry to the market represents a British-originated offering.
The company has had a unit of boffins working on designs for the past two years in secrecy, but as yet, no prototype exists and there is no indication of whether production will take place in the UK or overseas.
The new cars will see Dyson go head to head with the likes of Tesla and Google’s Waymo. It is not yet known however if Dyson plans self-driving autonomy for the vehicles or if they will be standard steering wheel jobbies.
Alternatively, they may end up being like Mr Garrison’s IT bike from South Park for all we know — after all, Mr Dyson did promise something «radical and different».
A budget of £1bn has been allotted for the design of the car with a further billion for perfecting the battery. More than that is a mystery with RRP, speed, range and all that useful stuff still top secret.
In an e-mail to staff, Dyson warned: «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.»
Let’s hope the email itself wasn’t meant to be confidential because it’s already all over the ruddy interweb.
Dyson says the car will not be aimed at the mass market, but declined to comment further or identify what market it actually will be aimed at.
It’s likely that at the very least, Dyson will need to jump into bed with one of the existing smart car UIs such as those offered by Google and Nuance, as developing of his own system would divert funds away from building the car. Those are just the vacs of life. µ
Those are just the vacs of life. µ
