Dyson pulls plug on EV project

 Vacuum cleaner company Dyson is ceasing its multi-million-dollar electric car project, saying it cannot make the EV venture economically viable.

Dyson Automotive had planned to make the EVs in Singapore after starting to convert a former airfield in the United Kingdom into an EV research and development hub, including a test track.

“The Dyson Automotive team have developed a fantastic car; they have been ingenious in their approach while remaining faithful to our philosophies,” founder Sir James Dyson says in a tweet.

“However, though we have tried very hard throughout the development process, we simply cannot make it commercially viable. We have been through a serious process to find a buyer for the project which has, unfortunately, been unsuccessful so far. I wanted you to hear directly from me that the Dyson Board has therefore taken the very difficult decision to propose the closure of our automotive project.”

The announcement has prompted several vacuum cleaner related jokes, but Dyson says it’s not a product or team failure.

“We are working to quickly find alternative roles within Dyson for as many of the team as possible and we have sufficient vacancies to absorb most of the people into our Home business.”

It’s reported more than 500 employees could be affected.

Dyson says it will continue its 2.5 billion pound investment in new technology and grow its new university.

“We will continue to expand at Malmesbury, Hullavington, Singapore and other global locations. We will also concentrate on the formidable task of manufacturing solid state batteries and other fundamental technologies which we have identified: sensing technologies, vision systems, robotics, machine learning, and AI offer us significant opportunities which we must grab with both hands.”

James Dyson says the company will benefit from its battery research.

“Our investment appetite is undiminished and we will continue to deepen our roots in both the UK and Singapore.”