Dyson electric car manufacturing plant to be located in Singapore

Factory to be built closer to supply chain while company hires 300 more at R&D centre in UK

Appliance maker Dyson has opted to build its electric vehicle factory in Singapore in order to be closest to its component supply chain, the company has revealed today, as well as major global markets.

"The decision of where to make our car is complex, based on supply chains, access to markets, and the availability of the expertise that will help us achieve our ambitions," said Dyson CEO Jim Rowan, as the decision was announced.

However, it also plans to take on 300 more staff at its research and development centre in Hullavington in the UK at the same time, where it is investing £200 million in new buildings and a test track.

The company is planning to launch its first car in 2020, when the factory is due for completion, with the first model rolling off production lines in 2021. The factory is part of a £2 billion investment by the company, best known for its high-end vacuum cleaners and cyclone-filter technology.

Dyson also makes electric motors in Singapore, where it already employs 1,000 staff. Singapore also offers a highly skilled workforce, particularly in electronics and engineering.

Unlike China, Singapore also offers robust intellectual property protection. Sir James Dyson has, in the past, complained about overseas companies having their intellectual property ripped-off in China, while China's government and courts do little to stop it, regardless of their World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations.

Dyson's electric vehicle development is intended to leverage his company's expertise in electric motors and battery technology, with the company having acquired a US-based battery developer called, Sakti3, in 2015.

Dyson's electric vehicle plans were first revealed in 2017 after work had started in 2015. The first model is being designed entirely from scratch, with a new chassis, and will be "radically different" from other electric vehicles on the market. It won't, Dyson says, be a sports car along the lines of Elon Musk's Tesla electric cars.

The market for electric vehicles, particularly expensive ones, is set to become somewhat crowded in the 2020s, with Tesla being joined not just by Jaguar, Nissan, Ford and the other car-making giants, but also Apple and, of course, Dyson.