Dyson: Development and Technology News
10-23-2018, 06:56 AM
#1
Race Director
Thread Starter
Dyson: Development and Technology News
The company is investing £2 billion in it and has a development staff of more than 400. Details of the nature of the car itself are scant, though. Sir James Dyson wrote in an email to employees: “Competition for new technology in the automotive industry is fierce and we must do everything we can to keep the specifics of our vehicle confidential.”
Despite this, it’s possible to hazard some idea of what a Dyson electric car might consist of, not least because Dyson himself has said: “There’s no point doing something that looks like everyone else’s. It is not a sports car and not a very cheap car.” On the basis of these not-insubstantial clues and others, Autocar has developed a projection of what the Dyson EV could look like and what features it might contain.
Dyson car - how we think it will shape up
Battery and charging technology
Removable cassette-style solid-state battery pack of various capacities and prices, mounted within double-skinned front bulkhead. Battery pack removable using engine hoist from covered slot forward of windscreen. Battery pack is structural and locks into bulkhead to provide substantial additional torsional strength.
Solid-state battery pack developed by Dyson subsidiary Sakti3. Pack is lighter and more energy dense than lithium ion packs and needs little cooling, further reducing weight and the need for control systems. Pack offered with two different ranges, to suit short and long-distance users, and to offer a lower base price.
Solar roof panel. Solar panels in semi-horizontal rear wheelarches and bonnet, too. Solar panels used to drive HVAC when car is stationary and remotely programmed to warm/cool before usage
Drivetrain and ride
Two Dyson-developed high-power electric motors drive front wheels and double as generator. Smaller motor/ generator for rear wheels to increase power regeneration and provide part-time four- wheel drive.
High-profile tyres for improved ride. Tyres self-coloured in Dyson grey.
Narrow, lightweight wheels reduce weight, inertia, road noise and cost of replacement and improve turning circle.
Exterior and bodywork
Dyson Airblade windscreen clearing system. Heated screen cleared by 400mph air jets with water-injected wash function. Similar system used for rear window.
Composite, self-coloured, non-structural, exterior panels. Skin panels attached to inner frames using Velcro.
Vehicle is lightweight, all-purpose family car of clean, spare and functional design, but not sparse or utility.
Premium finish underlines premium pricing that also provides value through intelligent design.
Car is 4.1m long, 1.75m wide and 1.5m tall.
Five-door with coach rear doors. Completely flat floor.
Overall design shaped by ‘form follows function’ mantra, as with all Dyson products.
Lightweight composite moulded core structure. Bolt-on aluminium front subframe to carry motor, inverter and suspension. Rear suspension subframe mounted to reduce road noise, as per front.
The cabin tapers towards the rear for improved aero and to create semi-horizontal rear wheel arches. Exterior skin and under-floor development are heavily influenced by Dyson’s air manipulation intelligence.
Fixed-position front seats feature composite frames whose outer structure doubles as a lower B-pillar for side-impact protection and to provide latching for coach doors and forward upper seatbelt mountings. Seat cushions are air-pump-adjustable bladders beneath cloth or leather upholstery. Conventional, lightweight rear seats have a 60/40 split folding facility.
There are electrically adjustable pedals and a four-way adjustable steering column. The heating and ventilation system is developed from Dyson Airblade technologies. The air conditioning draws low current and an air purifier is optional.
A compact dashboard is enabled by a space-efficient HVAC system and a Tesla-style central tablet display features. Key instrument readings, navigation and warnings are provided by a head-up display.
Despite this, it’s possible to hazard some idea of what a Dyson electric car might consist of, not least because Dyson himself has said: “There’s no point doing something that looks like everyone else’s. It is not a sports car and not a very cheap car.” On the basis of these not-insubstantial clues and others, Autocar has developed a projection of what the Dyson EV could look like and what features it might contain.
Dyson car - how we think it will shape up
Battery and charging technology
Removable cassette-style solid-state battery pack of various capacities and prices, mounted within double-skinned front bulkhead. Battery pack removable using engine hoist from covered slot forward of windscreen. Battery pack is structural and locks into bulkhead to provide substantial additional torsional strength.
Solid-state battery pack developed by Dyson subsidiary Sakti3. Pack is lighter and more energy dense than lithium ion packs and needs little cooling, further reducing weight and the need for control systems. Pack offered with two different ranges, to suit short and long-distance users, and to offer a lower base price.
Solar roof panel. Solar panels in semi-horizontal rear wheelarches and bonnet, too. Solar panels used to drive HVAC when car is stationary and remotely programmed to warm/cool before usage
Drivetrain and ride
Two Dyson-developed high-power electric motors drive front wheels and double as generator. Smaller motor/ generator for rear wheels to increase power regeneration and provide part-time four- wheel drive.
High-profile tyres for improved ride. Tyres self-coloured in Dyson grey.
Narrow, lightweight wheels reduce weight, inertia, road noise and cost of replacement and improve turning circle.
Exterior and bodywork
Dyson Airblade windscreen clearing system. Heated screen cleared by 400mph air jets with water-injected wash function. Similar system used for rear window.
Composite, self-coloured, non-structural, exterior panels. Skin panels attached to inner frames using Velcro.
Vehicle is lightweight, all-purpose family car of clean, spare and functional design, but not sparse or utility.
Premium finish underlines premium pricing that also provides value through intelligent design.
Car is 4.1m long, 1.75m wide and 1.5m tall.
Five-door with coach rear doors. Completely flat floor.
Overall design shaped by ‘form follows function’ mantra, as with all Dyson products.
Lightweight composite moulded core structure. Bolt-on aluminium front subframe to carry motor, inverter and suspension. Rear suspension subframe mounted to reduce road noise, as per front.
The cabin tapers towards the rear for improved aero and to create semi-horizontal rear wheel arches. Exterior skin and under-floor development are heavily influenced by Dyson’s air manipulation intelligence.
Fixed-position front seats feature composite frames whose outer structure doubles as a lower B-pillar for side-impact protection and to provide latching for coach doors and forward upper seatbelt mountings. Seat cushions are air-pump-adjustable bladders beneath cloth or leather upholstery. Conventional, lightweight rear seats have a 60/40 split folding facility.
There are electrically adjustable pedals and a four-way adjustable steering column. The heating and ventilation system is developed from Dyson Airblade technologies. The air conditioning draws low current and an air purifier is optional.
A compact dashboard is enabled by a space-efficient HVAC system and a Tesla-style central tablet display features. Key instrument readings, navigation and warnings are provided by a head-up display.
10-23-2018, 07:00 AM
#2
Race Director
Thread Starter
Dyson's new electric car is edging closer to production, with the company confirming a new manufacturing facility will be built in Singapore and finished by 2020.
The purpose-built two-storey plant is part of a £2.5 billion investment in the electric car project, with the production model set to be launched in 2021. The announcement follows the unveiling of its proving ground at Hullavington Airfield, Wiltshire, which includes test tracks, motorway-like surfaces, high-speed strips and an off-road course.
The decision to base the plant in Singapore is partly influenced by Dyson already having a strong foothold there, employing 1100 people at a facility that designs and builds the high-speed digital motors used in the firm's vacuum cleaners and hand dryers.
In a letter to Dyson employees, CEO Jim Rowan said: "Singapore also offers access to high-growth markets as well as an extensive supply chain and a highly skilled workforce. Singapore has a comparatively high cost base, but also great technology expertise and focus. It is therefore the right place to make high-quality technology-loaded machines, and the right place to make our electric vehicle."
Dyson initially made its vacuum cleaners and washing machines in Wiltshire but transferred production to Malaysia in 2002 and, in 2004, opened a manufacturing plant in the country in a joint venture with a Singapore-based investment group. In 2013, Dyson opened its digital motor plant in Tuas, Singapore, which has since been significantly expanded. Having a supply network in the region will give it a head start in ramping up production for its first electric car.
Dyson electric car - our vision of what it will be like
Dyson's long-term automotive plans suggest a diverse range of electric cars will eventually be produced. We already know there will be a three-car line-up, with an SUV almost a certainty, on top of the high-end model already mooted. A sports car will not be part of the range, but a top speed of more than 100mph for one or more models is suggested.
Rowan said: "Our growing automotive team is now working from Dyson’s state-of-the-art hangars at Hullavington Airfield. It will quickly become a world-class vehicle-testing campus, where we anticipate investing £550m, creating even more high-skilled jobs for Britain.”
Three more buildings will be opened at the site in the next few months, the company revealed, although its automotive employees have already moved to the renovated H86 hangar at the site.
The company also recently trademarked the terminology ‘Digital Motor’ for automotive use. Previously used only on its household products, the Digital Motor moniker describes a brushless permanent-magnet synchronous motor – the same type found in many electric vehicles currently on the market.
The trademark, filed recently for the European market, applies to both cars and non-road-going machines, although the use of the trademark in an automotive context is a first for the company. Dyson's first car is due next year and the brand also wants to grow its EV programme workforce by 300 people in a bid to ramp up the pace of development before the vehicle reaches the market.
Dyson, a leader in vacuum cleaners and hand dryers, already has 400 employees focused on the project, but is now "looking to fill an additional 300 automotive vacancies" as it moves into Hullavington, a 750-acre campus that will be Dyson’s second research and development site in Britain.
The EV project has been working to produce three models for more than three years. Its first will be a low-volume car produced in fewer than 10,000 units. Company founder Sir James Dyson said this model will carry a premium price tag but will not be a sports car (see below for more details on this model).
Dyson will use this low-volume first model's development and production period to establish relationships with suppliers so that when it focuses on future models, which will include mass-produced cars, it will already be an established manufacturer.
The British company plans to produce two mass-produced EV models after the low-volume debutant. If all goes well, the brand intends to continue developing EVs in the future.
Dyson is working to produce its cars with solid state battery technology. This advanced battery chemistry, which uses higher energy density cells that are quicker to charge and store more energy than current liquid cells, is predicted to make it to market in time for the brand's second car, possibly at the start of the next decade.
This would place Dyson at the front of the race to bring solid state batteries to market. Of the existing car makers, Toyota has been most vocal about its plans to introduce the technology in the coming decade. A BMW spokesman recently claimed that the company is also making good progress, while Porsche has hinted that solid state EVs are in its product plans.
Dyson's solid state development appeared to have taken a hit when its battery expert, Ann Marie Sastry, left the company in late 2017. Dyson told Autocar at the time that it doesn't "get into specifics on personnel matters" when questioned on the matter.
The brand is also investing in artificial intelligence along with a long list of other cutting-edge digital technologies, including robotics and machine learning. Although not officially linked to its car programme, this suggests Dyson will be well placed to integrate autonomous technology that can 'learn' into its earliest vehicles.
Dyson's first EV
The first car's development is being funded by £2.5bn in investment from Dyson and the project has received support from the British government.
Dyson is keeping details such as performance and range secret, but the first model won't be a mass-market car like the Renault Zoe and Nissan Leaf; instead, it will be aimed at a more tech-oriented market. Dyson's existing household goods tend to be more expensive than the competition, suggesting that the EV's market position will be firmly in the premium segment, similar to that of Tesla.
Insight: why is Dyson launching an electric car?
There's no definitive word yet on where the car will be built, but Sir James revealed to Reuters last year: "Wherever we make the battery, we’ll make the car; that’s logical. So we want to be near our suppliers; we want to be in a place that welcomes us and is friendly to us, and where it is logistically most sensible. And we see a very large market for this car in the Far East.”
Dyson has a large market presence in the Far East, so Chinese production isn't an unrealistic prediction, although the car is being developed in the UK.
In the announcement of the EV plan, Sir James took swipes at governments' push for diesels and the Dieselgate emissions scandal. "Governments around the world have encouraged the adoption of oxymoronically designated ‘clean diesel’ engines through subsidies and grants," he said. "Major auto manufacturers have circumvented and duped clean air regulations. As a result, developed and developing cities are full of smog-belching cars, lorries and buses. It is a problem that others are ignoring."
He revealed that a major aim is to reduce air pollution from cars "at the source", saying: "I committed the company to develop new battery technologies. I believed that electrically powered vehicles would solve the vehicle pollution problem. Dyson carried on innovating. At this moment, we finally have the opportunity to bring all our technologies together into a single product.
"We’ve started building an exceptional team that combines top Dyson engineers with talented individuals from the automotive industry. The team is already over 400 strong and we are recruiting aggressively. I’m committed to investing £2bn on this endeavour."
The EV will be Dyson-badged, unlike Google's Waymo project and Apple's autonomous car efforts that focus on components for other cars. Dyson is not planning to seek help from other manufacturers to bring the car to production.
The purpose-built two-storey plant is part of a £2.5 billion investment in the electric car project, with the production model set to be launched in 2021. The announcement follows the unveiling of its proving ground at Hullavington Airfield, Wiltshire, which includes test tracks, motorway-like surfaces, high-speed strips and an off-road course.
The decision to base the plant in Singapore is partly influenced by Dyson already having a strong foothold there, employing 1100 people at a facility that designs and builds the high-speed digital motors used in the firm's vacuum cleaners and hand dryers.
In a letter to Dyson employees, CEO Jim Rowan said: "Singapore also offers access to high-growth markets as well as an extensive supply chain and a highly skilled workforce. Singapore has a comparatively high cost base, but also great technology expertise and focus. It is therefore the right place to make high-quality technology-loaded machines, and the right place to make our electric vehicle."
Dyson initially made its vacuum cleaners and washing machines in Wiltshire but transferred production to Malaysia in 2002 and, in 2004, opened a manufacturing plant in the country in a joint venture with a Singapore-based investment group. In 2013, Dyson opened its digital motor plant in Tuas, Singapore, which has since been significantly expanded. Having a supply network in the region will give it a head start in ramping up production for its first electric car.
Dyson electric car - our vision of what it will be like
Dyson's long-term automotive plans suggest a diverse range of electric cars will eventually be produced. We already know there will be a three-car line-up, with an SUV almost a certainty, on top of the high-end model already mooted. A sports car will not be part of the range, but a top speed of more than 100mph for one or more models is suggested.
With £85 million already spent on restoring two hangars at Hullavington, Dyson's investment in the site will reach £200m once work is completed, with a further £550m of investment planned once the facility is up and running. Handling, rural and off-road courses are confirmed, as is a skid pan and a high-speed runway for testing at more than 100mph.
Rowan said: "Our growing automotive team is now working from Dyson’s state-of-the-art hangars at Hullavington Airfield. It will quickly become a world-class vehicle-testing campus, where we anticipate investing £550m, creating even more high-skilled jobs for Britain.”
Three more buildings will be opened at the site in the next few months, the company revealed, although its automotive employees have already moved to the renovated H86 hangar at the site.
The company also recently trademarked the terminology ‘Digital Motor’ for automotive use. Previously used only on its household products, the Digital Motor moniker describes a brushless permanent-magnet synchronous motor – the same type found in many electric vehicles currently on the market.
The trademark, filed recently for the European market, applies to both cars and non-road-going machines, although the use of the trademark in an automotive context is a first for the company. Dyson's first car is due next year and the brand also wants to grow its EV programme workforce by 300 people in a bid to ramp up the pace of development before the vehicle reaches the market.
Dyson, a leader in vacuum cleaners and hand dryers, already has 400 employees focused on the project, but is now "looking to fill an additional 300 automotive vacancies" as it moves into Hullavington, a 750-acre campus that will be Dyson’s second research and development site in Britain.
The EV project has been working to produce three models for more than three years. Its first will be a low-volume car produced in fewer than 10,000 units. Company founder Sir James Dyson said this model will carry a premium price tag but will not be a sports car (see below for more details on this model).
Dyson will use this low-volume first model's development and production period to establish relationships with suppliers so that when it focuses on future models, which will include mass-produced cars, it will already be an established manufacturer.
The British company plans to produce two mass-produced EV models after the low-volume debutant. If all goes well, the brand intends to continue developing EVs in the future.
Dyson is working to produce its cars with solid state battery technology. This advanced battery chemistry, which uses higher energy density cells that are quicker to charge and store more energy than current liquid cells, is predicted to make it to market in time for the brand's second car, possibly at the start of the next decade.
This would place Dyson at the front of the race to bring solid state batteries to market. Of the existing car makers, Toyota has been most vocal about its plans to introduce the technology in the coming decade. A BMW spokesman recently claimed that the company is also making good progress, while Porsche has hinted that solid state EVs are in its product plans.
Dyson's solid state development appeared to have taken a hit when its battery expert, Ann Marie Sastry, left the company in late 2017. Dyson told Autocar at the time that it doesn't "get into specifics on personnel matters" when questioned on the matter.
The brand is also investing in artificial intelligence along with a long list of other cutting-edge digital technologies, including robotics and machine learning. Although not officially linked to its car programme, this suggests Dyson will be well placed to integrate autonomous technology that can 'learn' into its earliest vehicles.
Dyson's first EV
The first car's development is being funded by £2.5bn in investment from Dyson and the project has received support from the British government.
Dyson is keeping details such as performance and range secret, but the first model won't be a mass-market car like the Renault Zoe and Nissan Leaf; instead, it will be aimed at a more tech-oriented market. Dyson's existing household goods tend to be more expensive than the competition, suggesting that the EV's market position will be firmly in the premium segment, similar to that of Tesla.
Insight: why is Dyson launching an electric car?
There's no definitive word yet on where the car will be built, but Sir James revealed to Reuters last year: "Wherever we make the battery, we’ll make the car; that’s logical. So we want to be near our suppliers; we want to be in a place that welcomes us and is friendly to us, and where it is logistically most sensible. And we see a very large market for this car in the Far East.”
Dyson has a large market presence in the Far East, so Chinese production isn't an unrealistic prediction, although the car is being developed in the UK.
In the announcement of the EV plan, Sir James took swipes at governments' push for diesels and the Dieselgate emissions scandal. "Governments around the world have encouraged the adoption of oxymoronically designated ‘clean diesel’ engines through subsidies and grants," he said. "Major auto manufacturers have circumvented and duped clean air regulations. As a result, developed and developing cities are full of smog-belching cars, lorries and buses. It is a problem that others are ignoring."
He revealed that a major aim is to reduce air pollution from cars "at the source", saying: "I committed the company to develop new battery technologies. I believed that electrically powered vehicles would solve the vehicle pollution problem. Dyson carried on innovating. At this moment, we finally have the opportunity to bring all our technologies together into a single product.
"We’ve started building an exceptional team that combines top Dyson engineers with talented individuals from the automotive industry. The team is already over 400 strong and we are recruiting aggressively. I’m committed to investing £2bn on this endeavour."
The EV will be Dyson-badged, unlike Google's Waymo project and Apple's autonomous car efforts that focus on components for other cars. Dyson is not planning to seek help from other manufacturers to bring the car to production.
10-23-2018, 03:09 PM
#4
Senior Moderator
10-24-2018, 02:08 PM
#5
Team Owner
I am just trying to wrap my head around the idea that Dyson is going to make cars....
I am sure it will be good quality products knowing Dyson.... but what is next? Hoover is coming out with their convertible?
I am sure it will be good quality products knowing Dyson.... but what is next? Hoover is coming out with their convertible?
10-31-2018, 06:49 PM
#7
Senior Moderator
Trending Topics
01-23-2019, 06:39 AM
#8
Race Director
Thread Starter
New Delhi: Dyson, the consumer electronics major, recently unveiled that former BMW and Infiniti chief Roland Krueger will take the charge of company's new electric vehicle division.
Prior to this, the 53 year old Krueger served as a senior executive at Nissan and BMW and also worked as president of Infiniti.
In his new role, Krueger will be responsible to oversee the manufacturing and development of Dyson electric car project, which is slated to launch in 2021, at company's new factory in Singapore. The construction of the new facility will be completed in 2020 and employee around 1100 people.
According to Auto Express report Dyson CEO Jim Rowan believes Krueger will be an “excellent fit” for the company, which is almost exclusively known for its vacuum-cleaner range in Britain.
On Tuesday, company's inventor James Dyson made an announcement of shifting his head office to Singapore from Britain to be closer to his company’s fastest-growing markets, as per Reuters.
Currently, Dyson has strong presence in some prominent economies of Asia including China, South Korea and India. With its existing range of high-end vacuum cleaners, hair dryers and air purifiers, Dyson has been successful in attracting the middle-class consumers of countries.
Prior to this, the 53 year old Krueger served as a senior executive at Nissan and BMW and also worked as president of Infiniti.
In his new role, Krueger will be responsible to oversee the manufacturing and development of Dyson electric car project, which is slated to launch in 2021, at company's new factory in Singapore. The construction of the new facility will be completed in 2020 and employee around 1100 people.
According to Auto Express report Dyson CEO Jim Rowan believes Krueger will be an “excellent fit” for the company, which is almost exclusively known for its vacuum-cleaner range in Britain.
On Tuesday, company's inventor James Dyson made an announcement of shifting his head office to Singapore from Britain to be closer to his company’s fastest-growing markets, as per Reuters.
Currently, Dyson has strong presence in some prominent economies of Asia including China, South Korea and India. With its existing range of high-end vacuum cleaners, hair dryers and air purifiers, Dyson has been successful in attracting the middle-class consumers of countries.
10-14-2019, 10:32 AM
#9
Moderator
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2019/10...-electric-car/
James Dyson, the inventor and Brexiteer, revealed in 2017 that his company was planning on making an electric vehicle. The plan was to invest $3.2 billion (£2.5 billion) in the project, which would capitalize on the company's expertise with smaller electric motors—the ones in his vacuum cleaners—as well as developing solid-state batteries to power the vehicle. The battery EV was due to arrive in 2021 and would have been built not in the UK but in Singapore. But now, those plans are cancelled.
Despite developing what he referred to as "a fantastic car," in an email to his staff Dyson revealed that "[t]hough we have tried very hard throughout the development process, we simply can no longer see a way to make it commercially viable." Which is bad news for the 532 employees who have been working on the Dyson BEV for the last four years, although the company will do its best to absorb those workers into other roles.
In the email, Dyson revealed that he had been trying to find a buyer for the project but was unable to do so. This difficulty will come as no surprise to industry watchers; although Tesla has managed to establish itself as a car company, it's had a harder time making money selling those cars. Meanwhile, other more recent entrants like Faraday Future and Nio have had an ever rougher time.
Dyson said that the company will continue to invest that $3.2 billion in the company. "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," he wrote.
Despite developing what he referred to as "a fantastic car," in an email to his staff Dyson revealed that "[t]hough we have tried very hard throughout the development process, we simply can no longer see a way to make it commercially viable." Which is bad news for the 532 employees who have been working on the Dyson BEV for the last four years, although the company will do its best to absorb those workers into other roles.
In the email, Dyson revealed that he had been trying to find a buyer for the project but was unable to do so. This difficulty will come as no surprise to industry watchers; although Tesla has managed to establish itself as a car company, it's had a harder time making money selling those cars. Meanwhile, other more recent entrants like Faraday Future and Nio have had an ever rougher time.
Dyson said that the company will continue to invest that $3.2 billion in the company. "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," he wrote.
10-16-2019, 09:44 AM
#11
Moderator
05-18-2020, 05:59 AM
#12
Race Director
Thread Starter
Having famously killed off its electric car project back in October, Dyson’s automobile remained a mystery to most, with insiders telling Engadget that only a handful of engineers had seen a working prototype somewhere in Wiltshire. But yesterday, the company chose to finally show off its scrapped electric car for an interview about Sir James Dyson — now worth £16.2 billion — topping the Sunday Times Rich List for the first time.
According to The Times, Dyson revealed that his electric vehicle, codenamed “N526,” would have been a seven-seater with a whopping 600-mile range per charge. This was largely thanks to the company’s proprietary solid-state batteries, which could apparently sustain such performance “even on a freezing February night, on the naughty side of 70MPH on the motorway, with the heater on and the radio at full blast.” Assuming that 600-mile figure was based on Europe’s WLTP standards, it would have been an impressive jump from Tesla Model S' 379 miles and almost doubling the long-range Model X's 314 miles (the latter also a seven-seater).
Despite its 2.6-ton weight, Dyson’s aluminum car could go from zero to 62MPH in 4.8 seconds (about half a second more than the long-range Model X), with its top speed apparently reaching 125MPH (30MPH shy of the Model X’s). This is all coming from the twin 200kW electric motors rated with 536BHP and 480lb/ft of torque. And yes, Dyson himself had driven the prototype, albeit “secretly in a screened-off compound.”
DysonIn real life, the prototype car shared a strong resemblance to a modern Range Rover — more so than the patent diagrams suggested. The sporty-looking SUV was said to come in at “five metres long, two metres wide and 1.7 metres tall,” featuring a windscreen which “rakes back more steeply than on a Ferrari,” as well as wheels that “are bigger than on any production car on the market,” according to Dyson.
The Times also got to see the electric SUV’s interior, which reminds me of some of the futuristic concepts at car shows. Most notably, the surprisingly slim seats featured segmented cushions and lollipop-shaped headrests designed in such a way that, according to Dyson, would provide better lumbar support overall. And for the driver, the dashboard was kept clean by utilizing a head-up display, such that it “floats in front of your face like a hologram.”
It goes without saying that many of these features were rather ambitious for an electric car, let alone the project itself for a company that’s more familiar with household electrical goods and, more recently, haircare products. As the owner of the company, Dyson told The Times that this project ended up costing £500 million of his own money before he put a stop to it. Unlike other traditional car brands, Dyson doesn’t have a fleet of profitable gasoline cars and diesel cars to offset the “huge losses” on every electric vehicle made — each Dyson electric car would have needed to make £150,000 to break even, according to the entrepreneur. While Tesla did post a profitable first quarter this year, it has been posting annual losses ever since it went public, but at least its electric cars are on the road.
Even though the Dyson car is no more, its spirit lives on. The founder said the 500-strong team are already working on various other projects, and that he is open to the idea of letting car makers tap into his company’s solid-state batteries, which are supposedly more efficient and compact than current lithium ion cells. As to whether the company would try making cars again some day, Dyson said only if it becomes commercially viable then. You can read more about the doomed Dyson electric car in The Times’ exclusive interview (subscription required).
According to The Times, Dyson revealed that his electric vehicle, codenamed “N526,” would have been a seven-seater with a whopping 600-mile range per charge. This was largely thanks to the company’s proprietary solid-state batteries, which could apparently sustain such performance “even on a freezing February night, on the naughty side of 70MPH on the motorway, with the heater on and the radio at full blast.” Assuming that 600-mile figure was based on Europe’s WLTP standards, it would have been an impressive jump from Tesla Model S' 379 miles and almost doubling the long-range Model X's 314 miles (the latter also a seven-seater).
Despite its 2.6-ton weight, Dyson’s aluminum car could go from zero to 62MPH in 4.8 seconds (about half a second more than the long-range Model X), with its top speed apparently reaching 125MPH (30MPH shy of the Model X’s). This is all coming from the twin 200kW electric motors rated with 536BHP and 480lb/ft of torque. And yes, Dyson himself had driven the prototype, albeit “secretly in a screened-off compound.”
DysonIn real life, the prototype car shared a strong resemblance to a modern Range Rover — more so than the patent diagrams suggested. The sporty-looking SUV was said to come in at “five metres long, two metres wide and 1.7 metres tall,” featuring a windscreen which “rakes back more steeply than on a Ferrari,” as well as wheels that “are bigger than on any production car on the market,” according to Dyson.
The Times also got to see the electric SUV’s interior, which reminds me of some of the futuristic concepts at car shows. Most notably, the surprisingly slim seats featured segmented cushions and lollipop-shaped headrests designed in such a way that, according to Dyson, would provide better lumbar support overall. And for the driver, the dashboard was kept clean by utilizing a head-up display, such that it “floats in front of your face like a hologram.”
It goes without saying that many of these features were rather ambitious for an electric car, let alone the project itself for a company that’s more familiar with household electrical goods and, more recently, haircare products. As the owner of the company, Dyson told The Times that this project ended up costing £500 million of his own money before he put a stop to it. Unlike other traditional car brands, Dyson doesn’t have a fleet of profitable gasoline cars and diesel cars to offset the “huge losses” on every electric vehicle made — each Dyson electric car would have needed to make £150,000 to break even, according to the entrepreneur. While Tesla did post a profitable first quarter this year, it has been posting annual losses ever since it went public, but at least its electric cars are on the road.
Even though the Dyson car is no more, its spirit lives on. The founder said the 500-strong team are already working on various other projects, and that he is open to the idea of letting car makers tap into his company’s solid-state batteries, which are supposedly more efficient and compact than current lithium ion cells. As to whether the company would try making cars again some day, Dyson said only if it becomes commercially viable then. You can read more about the doomed Dyson electric car in The Times’ exclusive interview (subscription required).
https://www.engadget.com/dysons-elec...085341772.html
05-18-2020, 07:33 AM
#13
Moderator
In profile, that doesn't look bad.
Impressive specs. Maybe they should collaborate with another & get that into production under a different moniker.
Impressive specs. Maybe they should collaborate with another & get that into production under a different moniker.
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Comfy (05-18-2020)
05-18-2020, 11:40 AM
#14
The picture where they show the interior of the car doesn’t look like a car itself. There is no windscreen or roof. Probably it is just a make up sofa for pictures. I highly doubt they had the battery that keeps the car running for 600 miles on a single charge. Well, talk is cheap.
If it were true, that technology would have been already bought by the Germans who are hungry to get their hands on anything electric to catch up with Tesla.
i highly doubt even the prototype exists in the form shown. That model behind Dyson could be a clay / styrofoam scale model. If the car really exists then why don’t they show it fully.
Let’s hope that Dyson can team up with Sony and both can revive their failed projects and provide a viable alternative to mainstream auto makers
.
If it were true, that technology would have been already bought by the Germans who are hungry to get their hands on anything electric to catch up with Tesla.
i highly doubt even the prototype exists in the form shown. That model behind Dyson could be a clay / styrofoam scale model. If the car really exists then why don’t they show it fully.
Let’s hope that Dyson can team up with Sony and both can revive their failed projects and provide a viable alternative to mainstream auto makers
.Last edited by Comfy; 05-18-2020 at 11:44 AM.
05-18-2020, 07:27 PM
#15
Race Director
Thread Starter
05-18-2020, 09:20 PM
#16
Well, the Taycan is within that range. I'm sure that if the technology was available, Porsche would have no trouble adopting that to an electric version of Cayenne or Macan. If there is a market for a 4 seater EV car for $186 K, then why not for a Porsche electric SUV with even more practicality.
I understand that Dyson by itself would not be able to sell it at that price though.
I understand that Dyson by itself would not be able to sell it at that price though.
Last edited by Comfy; 05-18-2020 at 09:24 PM.
09-06-2021, 03:51 PM
#17
Sanest Florida Man
Dont fuck it up, Lucid and Rivian
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Comfy (09-06-2021)
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