Dyson, the U.K.-based manufacturer known for its cutting-edge, bagless vacuums, bladeless fans and wheelless wheelbarrows ("ballbarrows") could be working on an electric car, according to government documents titled "National Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2016-2021."
The Guardian reported Wednesday that the U.K. government says it will spend £174 million, nearly $250 million, to help Dyson develop "a new battery electric vehicle at their headquarters in Malmesbury, Wiltshire."
On Thursday, the documents cited by The Guardian said that "the government is providing a grant of up to £16m to Dyson to support research and development for battery technology at their site in Malmesbury."
The newspaper also wrote:
"Dyson recently reported profits up 20% in 2015, driven by strong growth in China, and said it plans to invest £1bn in battery technology over the next five years. Last October, Dyson bought solid-state battery company, Sakti3, for $90m, which founder Sir James Dyson said had 'developed a breakthrough in battery technology.'
"Asked if the company was, as the government suggested, developing an electric car, a Dyson spokesman said: 'We never comment on products that are in development.' "
Last year, however, Dyson CEO Max Conze said he was "ruling nothing out" when asked about making electric cars, the Independent reported.
According to Business Insider, "big name automakers like Tesla, BMW and others have invested significant resources into the research and development of EVs that can go faster and farther. And as a result, the market share of EVs continues to grow."
According to the article, the number of electric vehicles registered in the U.K. grew by 392 percent from 2014 to 2015.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.