Dyson Ramps Up Electric Car Plans, Urges UK To Speed Up Petrol Ban

Dyson is accelerating its electric car plans as it pushes the UK government to bring forward its petrol and diesel car ban to 2030.

The technology company, known for its vacuums and innovative hairdryers, has added a new Automotive page to its official website, confirming its intentions to develop an electric car in the near future.

Via Bloomberg

In 2017, the UK government announced plans to phase out the sale of non-hybrid petrol or diesel vehicles by 2040.

Dyson first revealed its £2.5bn plans to manufacture an electric car in 2017 and last year stated its intentions to build a facility in Singapore to develop these plans.

This in addition to its automotive development site in Hullavington, the UK, which has undergone a £200m restoration.

The first patents for Dyson’s electric car — tipped to arrive in 2021 — reveal an automobile with an aerodynamic design.

via The Financial Times

The report suggests that the car will feature a “long wheelbase” and large wheels to improve its efficiency and a lower centre of gravity to improve handling.

According to Bloomberg, in an email to staff CEO James Dyson asked employees to not share any details about the vehicle, but testing would ramp up next month with more than 500 people working on the project.

Some commentators believe that 2021 is an unrealistic aim, but in an interview with the Financial Times, Dyson stated that they were “broadly on track” to hit that target.

Dyson is joining a growing list of established car companies and tech manufacturers working on electric vehicles including Google-parent company Alphabet’s Waymo self-driving unit.