Vacuum leader James Dyson will scrap an ongoing project to build electric cars, as officially declared October 10, 2019.
“The Dyson Automotive team have developed a fantastic car; they have been ingenious in their approach while remaining faithful to our philosophies. 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.
This is not a product failure, or a failure of the team, for whom this news will be hard to hear and digest. Their achievements have been immense – given the enormity and complexity of the project. 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. For those who cannot, or do not wish to, find alternative roles, we will support them fairly and with the respect deserved. This is a challenging time for our colleagues and I appreciate your understanding and sensitivity as we consult with those who are affected.
Dyson will continue its £2.5bn investment program into new technology and grow our wonderful 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. Our battery will benefit Dyson in a profound way and take us in exciting new directions. In summary, our investment appetite is undiminished and we will continue to deepen our roots in both the UK and Singapore.
Since day one we have taken risks and dared to challenge the status quo with new products and technologies. Such an approach drives progress, but has never been an easy journey – the route to success is never linear. This is not the first project which has changed direction and it will not be the last. I remain as excited about the future of Dyson as I have always been; our ambitions have never been higher, our ability to invest has never been greater, and the team has never been stronger.
I am looking forward to our future adventures together.”
James Dyson
Engineer
This email unveils that:
- Dyson has worked out a functional sample car.
- It is difficult to commercialize, supposedly in price.
- Dyson attempts to sell the project but no player takes, suggesting that the die is cast in this field, allowing no more latecomers.
- Dyson may otherwise technically invest in and improve solid-state battery, which is much expected. After all it has made an utter reversal of the vacuum motor market.
Here is a quick review:
In January 2019, Dyson relocated headquarters to Singapore, likely in preparation for car making.
In July 2019, Dyson founder James Dyson splashed out on Singapore’s most expensive mansion at approximate RMB 360 million, where Dyson’s industrial park can be viewed.
Presumably, this project was still in the pipeline at least before the second half when the turning point came.
What happened during that time is unknown, but it is good to the vacuum industry to see such an unfavorable project come to a timely stop considering Dyson’s leadership in vacuum development.
