The Dyson electric car, to be manufactured in Singapore from 2021 on, is taking shape. Patent drawings show the upcoming vehicle's measurements and general shape, and in an interview with Autocar, Sir James Dyson himself spoke about some of the Dyson EV's attributes.
From the side profile, we can see the Dyson EV is a high-riding long-wheelbase wagon with the wheels pushed to the corners. The overhangs are nearly nonexistent, and the wheels are very large. Roughly, the vehicle will be 16 feet long, with nearly an 11-foott wheelbase, some 11 inches of ground clearance, yet an overall height of 65 inches – Autocar compares the measurements to a conventional Range Rover which is about the same length, but markedly taller, and with slightly less ground clearance. A seven-seater variant is in the cards.
Dyson told Autocar that the basic idea isn't strictly to make a "farm vehicle," but that the technology which is being used enables the vehicle to have good ground clearance and useful approach, breakover and departure angles. "It's just that we can have these things for free," states Dyson. The underfloor battery is said to be long, wide and thin. Autocar theorizes there will be a self-leveling, height-adjustable suspension. Details about the battery aren't given, but a solid-state battery has been mentioned several times in earlier Dyson coverage. Reportedly, two types of solid-state batteries are being researched.
It's probably also not improper to compare the Dyson vehicle to the Jaguar I-Pace, which is similarly sleek yet crossover-like, complete with big wheels. In fact, the wheel size chosen by Dyson is rather striking: they're likely to be as big as 23-24 inches in diameter, with low-profile tires. The reasoning behind this has to do with lowering rolling resistance and improving regenerative braking.
The Dyson EV's pricing and availability remains a matter of speculation, but as the vehicle's touted introduction inches closer, more information is likely to be provided.
