You may have heard Dyson had a plan to make a battery electric vehicle (BEV). It wasn’t just a “plan”. The company best known for its vacuum cleaners had sunk in up to a tune of US$500 million before eventually calling a quit. We are not here to dissect why we won’t have a giant vacuum cleaners running on our roads, though. We here to have a look at the car that never made it.
In the process of making vacuum cleaners, specifically cordless stick vacuum, Dyson has gained expertise in digital motor and battery technology – both which are transferable knowledge into making an electric vehicle.
The Dyson BEV would have been powered by a bespoke, integrated and highly efficient Electric Drive Unit (EDU) made up of Dyson digital electric motor, single speed transmission and “state of the art” power inverter.
This setup was compact and lightweight and would be mounted on subframes at the front and rear of the car. The aluminum battery system would be part of the body structure.
It would be a big car, stretching 5 meters (16 feet) long that has long wheel base and high ride height. We not exactly sure the class, but I would think it is a cross of a SUV and a MPV i.e. minivan that would seat seven grown person comfortably.
It would have feature another of Dyson strength: air filtration. It would use the company’s air filtration technology to ensure clean air on the inside.
In addition, it would have heads-up display while all the controls are on found on the steering wheel. It would have avant-garde seats too, with special focus on lumbar support which James Dyson lamented that today’s car seat is lacking.
So, basically, those were it. Late last year, Dyson officially pulled the plug on the electric car project, but the company decided, sometime in June, to let everyone in on some of the details that it had worked on which brings us to this.
Images: Dyson.