Dyson to manufacture its first electric car in Singapore
British technology company Dyson has announced that it will set up a new site in Singapore for building its first electric car.
The facility is expected to be completed by 2020, with the first cars being sold in 2021.
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Chief executive Jim Rowan said to staff in a memo that it had chosen Singapore “based on supply chains, access to markets, and the availability of the expertise that will help us achieve our ambitions."
Dyson announced its plans to invest £2bn in building an electric car last September.
Founder James Dyson said in an email to company employees that the technologies that underpin a number of Dyson products could be adapted for use in an electric vehicle.
He added: “At this moment, we finally have the opportunity to bring all our technologies together into a single product.”
The firm has had a presence in Singapore since 2007 and currently employs around 1,100 staff working in its electric motors business and R&D labs.
In the UK, Dyson has invested £200m in redeveloping a Wiltshire airfield into a research centre and test track for electric cars and driverless technology.
The base employs 400 people and will be responsible for the design while manufacturing will take place in Singapore.
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Dyson will be competing against Elon Musk’s Tesla, which has been developing electric cars since 2003, and Google, which began test-driving its self-driving vehicle last year.
Last month, Dyson wrote off £46m on US battery developer Sakti 3, purchased in 2015, which used solid lithium electrodes rather than flammable liquid which it said would make them safer and more powerful. Dyson is yet to announce full details about the car, including what types of batteries will be used.