Can a company go from making vacuums and fans to making electric cars? That’s what Dyson seems to be planning on doing. To be honest, Dyson has been teasing the idea of developing an electric car for some time now. So we’re not sure if we’ll ever actually see an EV from the famous vacuum-maker or not. However, such an idea just became closer to a reality, as Dyson just hired a former BMW executive to help with its EV development.
Roland Krueger formerly was a senior vice president at BMW and regional head of operations in Germany. Now, he will oversee the manufacturing and development for Dyson’s new electric car. This new Dyson EV is said to be built in Singapore at a brand-new facility that will be finished in 2020. The actual car itself is said to hit the road in 2021 but we’ll see.
While James Dyson is an impressive innovator and has developed some genuinely excellent products, it’s hard to get excited about another EV project. Not because we doubt Dyson’s abilities but because we’ve heard and seen dozens of new EV startups sputter and die off before they even get off the ground. Are there a few brands that have actually cracked the industry and developed interesting cars? Of course. Tesla is the most obvious but other small brands like Rimac and Rivian have been making waves in the industry as well.
Though, with the help of a former auto exec, especially one from a brand like BMW that has experience in electric vehicles, Dyson is now much better equipped. “Roland is experienced globally,” said Dyson CEO Jim Rowan. “He views the car industry as a global landscape, and that’s difficult to come by; he’s not attached to a particular region. He has knowledge of China, which is a key EV market, and he’s a designer by background but also understands commercial aspects.”
[Source: Auto Express]
