Dyson reveals the first details about its upcoming electric car

Dyson is best known for its excellent vacuum cleaners and hairdryers but the company is also developing an electric car and for the first it has released some of the tantalising details.

Innovative engineering is a central principle for the company and it is bringing experience in design, manufacturing and operations knowledge to the automotive space.

Dyson is on track to release its electric vehicle in 2021.

Usually ultra-secretive to protect its many patents, Dyson will this time make some of its patents covering its EV public.

“18 months ago we submitted our first patents covering some of the developments we are considering in relation to the vehicle architecture, aerodynamics and efficiency” says company CEO James Dyson.

“They suggest some of the ways in which this vehicle could differ from the status quo and depict a vehicle which has been developed from the bottom up – built with range and efficiency in mind from the outset.”

Dyson says most car manufacturers based their electric vehicles on existing formats which might be cost-effective but it takes away the opportunity to work on aerodynamics to improve the energy efficiency of the car.

Here’s what we know about the upcoming Dyson Electric vehicle:

LARGE WHEELS

The patent reveals a car with very large wheels which offers a low rolling resistance and high ground clearance.

The wheels may have an outer diameter that would make it between 45 per cent and 55 per cent of the vehicle’s height.
This means the vehicle can handle both city life and rough terrain but also achieve increased range and efficiency.

The patents also show the wheels to be very close to the front and back of the vehicle which means it will be highly manoeuvrable and allow for larger approach and departure angles.

The wheelbase length is likely to be about 3.335m.

DESIGN AND AERODYNAMICS

Naturally the front of the car will have the most impact on its aerodynamics and the Dyson vehicle will have a low carbon height and a shallow windscreen angle which merges with the roofline to reduce drag and increase range.

Dyson says the front of the vehicle will have an area of less than 2.7 square metres to improve its aerodynamics.

The vehicle will have a height of between 1.6m and 1.8m with the windscreen inclined at an angle of between 25 and 30 degrees.

It will also be between 4.7m and 5m long which places it in the medium to large car class.

The long wheelbase will also enable a larger battery to be used to increase the driving range and create more room inside the cabin.

It’s low centre of gravity will also play a big part in the handling and driving experience.

The illustrations of the vehicle includes side mirrors but other designs have omitted them and replaced it with a camera system instead is another way to benefit aerodynamic performance as well as providing a cleaner profile.

MOTOR AND BATTERY

Dyson is developing proprietary motor and battery technology using its in-house research and development team which will be tested thoroughly by its many engineers.

The company already has a long history with developing motors for its vacuum cleaner products.

It will be taking those learnings and using them on a grander scale with its electric vehicle.

Dyson has also confirmed it will use its multiple core technologies in its electric vehicle.

These will include air treatment and purification, heating and cooling as well as vision systems and software.

The Dyson electric car will be hitting the road in 2021.