Dyson, best known for its vacuum cleaners, has announced that it will launch a range of all-electric cars that will put it in direct competition with leading supplier Tesla Motors as well as other traditional car OEMs.
The company recently sent an internal letter to its employees confirming the long-rumored electric car venture, which the company will invest about $2.7 billion — for the cars and the batteries it will use. Dyson has hired about 400 people for its electric car project, which the company has kept under wraps for about 18 months.
Announcing the plan to build their own electric cars, Dyson hopes to speed up recruitment of staff and engage in discussions with third parties.
Dyson says it will use solid-state batteries for the electric car, a new battery technology. Solid-state batteries are not similar to lithium-ion batteries in that they do not contain liquids, so they have a greater potential energy density and can be recharged more quickly. Dyson says it is currently investigating two types of solid-state batteries that are being worked on internally.
Dyson expects to launch its line of electric cars in 2020.
