Dyson announce plans to build “radically different” electric car

James Dyson has announced plans to build an electric car – with the promise it will be “radically different” from the current models seen on the market.

The new model will go on sale in 2020 and has had engineers working on the £2.5 billion project since 2015.

Dyson has expressed concerns with diesel pollution and believes that electric cars are the best way forward. 

“I’m not a Johnny-come-lately to electric cars. It’s been my ambition since 1998 when I was rejected by the industry that has happily been creating dirty vehicles, and governments have kept on allowing it.”

He does, however, warn of the heavy price tag that is expected to be attached to the new vehicle. Refusing to disclose a figure, Dyson said: “Maybe the better figure is how much of a deposit they would be prepared to put down.”

The car is currently being developed and designed at the headquarters in Wiltshire by over 400 engineers. The cars shall be manufactured in the Far East but still be counted as a British export.

“We’ll choose the best place to make it and that’s where we’ll make it … Wherever we make the battery, that’s where we will make the car,” said Dyson.

“We see a very large market for this car in the far east … We want to be near where our markets are and I believe the far east has reacted [to electric] more quickly than the UK or Europe.”

The next stage of development will take place at a former RAF base at Hullavington in Wiltshire.

VW (ETR:VOW3), Volvo (STO:VOLV-B), Mercedes, Honda (NYSE:HMC) and Jaguar Land Rover have announced plans to sell electric or hybrid versions of their existing petrol and diesel engine ranges.

Jaguar is planning to make electric or hybrid versions of all existing models by 2020. BMW (ETR:BMW) is planning to make an electric Mini in its Oxford plant.