Dyson looking to motor into the electric car arena?

Dyson (yes, that Dyson) could be looking to play a role in the next great electric automobile. Just let your brain simmer on that a moment, and see if you can stifle any forthcoming laughter. Believe it or not, the British inventor famous for his iconic vacuum designs is actually developing a "powerful lightweight motor that could enable electric cars to zoom along for hundreds of miles without causing pollution." In theory, the eventual vehicle would scoot about much quicker than the majority of sluggish electric vehicles and solar panels would be tacked on the roof for regeneration in sunlight. Of course, some analysts are suggesting that he continue to keep his innovative motors in household gizmos, and rather than strike out on his own to invent a new car, he could simply partner with an existing automaker and toss in his design genius to craft something that's not horrifically ugly. Sounds pretty good to us.

[Via Core77, image courtesy of Telegraph]

[Twitchy @ Jun 25th 2008 5:24AM]

*Points at bright yellow and purple plastic vehicle*

"My electric car, it sucks."

[Andrew @ Jun 25th 2008 6:14AM]

Mercedes are probably already warming up their lawyers in case it looks anything like the Smart!

[Nate @ Jun 25th 2008 6:19AM]

The streets of the world will never be cleaner.

[Blackstar @ Jun 25th 2008 10:05AM]

At least it doesn't blow.

[OneLove @ Jun 25th 2008 12:34PM]

hope he gets over his depression.

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Jun 26th 2008 3:09AM]

When I went to buy a vacuum from my local high end dealer and repair shop and asked about Dyson, they rolled their eyes in disgust and said, "we don't call them Dysons around here instead we call 'em DIE-SOON"

[Tom Robertson @ Jun 25th 2008 5:24AM]

I vote they just stick to what they do best...

[dj-kenpo @ Jun 25th 2008 9:23AM]

ya I know eh? fuck all these inventors with ideas. we don't need no new ideas round here!

[sorensilk @ Jun 25th 2008 9:39AM]

What Dyson does best is create innovative products that work incredibly well. I vote they go for it.

[Natredde @ Jun 25th 2008 10:19AM]

Ferrucio Lamborghini, a tractor builder, once told Enzo Ferrari that his gearboxes could use a little more refinement. To paraphrase, Enzo replied, "You are nothing but a tractor salesman. If you think you can do better, build your own sports car."

[Johnnie Walker @ Jun 25th 2008 5:36AM]

Why the criticism? Dyson's industrial design is far ahead of the majority of car manufacturers.

[Spanky @ Jun 25th 2008 5:47AM]

+1

[Tomheivers @ Jun 25th 2008 5:48AM]

He makes things suck, that's for sure!

[culbeda @ Jun 25th 2008 10:05AM]

Yeah, but the fact that my lights dim every time I turn mine on doesn't give me much confidence in their efficiency.

[Sim @ Jun 25th 2008 10:10AM]

culbeda:
Your lights dim because your home builder was a cheap prick. It has nothing to do with your vacuum cleaner.

[Frankenstein Black @ Jun 25th 2008 10:55AM]

Exactly! Dyson, YOU GO BOY! Solar roof panels that charge my electric car's batteries while it sits in the parking lot at work for 8 hours doing nothing? Well that's just Dumb ;^/...

[caspercat @ Jun 25th 2008 6:16AM]

Should clean up with this idea also.

[BobTurbo @ Jun 25th 2008 5:50AM]

Dyson rock. They are a breath of fresh air, the Apple of the vacuum cleaner world. Their innovation and design is high class and I for one want a car that is full of primary colours and lets you see into the engine.

[patsy @ Jun 25th 2008 7:36AM]

> They are a breath of fresh air

Yes, they are the Sharper Image of vacuums, the Iconic Breeze if you will. The mantra being to just add enough brightly colored plastic in macho-looking shapes to make people feel the $600 price tag is so totally worth it.

[BobTurbo @ Jun 25th 2008 7:56AM]

Yeah no, they actually completely changed the design of a vacuum so it maintains suction. It gets excellent reviews for being extremely effective. It is not particularly macho either, more gender neutral. So I guess you are completely wrong.

[patsy @ Jun 25th 2008 8:37AM]

Congratulation, I see you drank deeply from the Kool-Aid. Most of the glowing "reviews" I've read are on Amazon from people with handles like "ZOMG (I love Dyson)", so who am I to argue with that?!

[BobTurbo @ Jun 25th 2008 8:58AM]

I was not talking about Amazon, I was talking about independent government bodies such as Choice in Australia who test consumer products.

[BobTurbo @ Jun 25th 2008 9:04AM]

I should add that because you don't have to buy those ridiculously expensive vacuum bags (the printer cartridges of the vacuum world), the long-term price is probably the same as other vacuums.

[Rocketboy @ Jun 25th 2008 9:20AM]

Overpriced and Gimmicky?

All I know, that I'd never trade in my Roomba for a Dyson.

[Denver_80203 @ Jun 25th 2008 12:17PM]

I have a Dyson that I use for everything from pet hair (2 Labs and a cat) to drywall dust without a hitch. Not only does it work well, it's worked well for 8 years. They just need to come up with a wet-vac/shop-vac idea and NEARLY all my sucking dreams have come true ;)

[Chris R @ Jun 25th 2008 1:14PM]

People rate Dysons so highly because they came from probably the cheapest of cheap Hoovers or the catalogue store own brand.
If you had used say an old Kirby or a Orec then the Dyson was less impressive, especially at the price point of 4x what most people where spending on average.
They simply grew the image of the vacuum from being a plastic thing in the cupboard under the stairs to a "iconic" design that every housewife must have so that she can tell everyone how she has one.

And a little flame bait :)
Anything by Apple can be put in the same bracket, its not that they are the best items, they are the ones you have to have.

[drathos @ Jun 25th 2008 10:31PM]

My dad has an old Kirby Classic III (late 70s model) which, while it can suck (far better than the Hoover and Eureka that my step-mother prefers), it tosses lots of dust in the air and makes a mess when you try to empty the bag. My Dyson DC07 sucks better, is quieter, doesn't fill the air with dust, and is easier and cleaner to empty. The Kirby could have lost a lot of power over the years, but that doesn't cover the other areas where the Dyson is better.

[David Z. @ Jun 25th 2008 5:51AM]

Motors are already pretty efficient... I don't see how making a new kind of motor is going to help, when the real problem is battery technology. Make a better battery instead!

[paul-engadget @ Jun 25th 2008 8:26AM]

unfair to have modded parent down; provided the motor is sized and rated properly, a vehicle driven by electric motors is proven - tesla, GM, toyota etc.
sure, you have to be careful about heat, and good motors aren't cheap.

the two key problems with electric cars are that there's still pollution - you just move it to the power station; the second is the battery, which means for long range you need to carry portable energy (dead dinosaurs in the form of oil or gas) and have an internal combustion engine and generator.

[macserv @ Jun 26th 2008 11:42PM]

You fix problem number one with green energy; which is nuclear, supplemented by wind and new forms of hydro. You switch to solar in a couple decades when it can simply be swapped in.

You fix problem number two by using a fuel cell hydrogen powerplant. Large batteries are not required, as electricity is generated on the fly. You electrolyze water with the new green energy.

[ray @ Jun 25th 2008 5:36PM]

What is it with British Inventors and electric vehicles? Sir Clive Sinclair's C5 rules again? Anyway his cleaners suck, try using one without it falling apart!

[dan @ Jun 25th 2008 6:11AM]

He's an innovative thinker who's already proven his ability to think outside the box of preconceived designs. God forbid he try to create something to better everyone's lives or help derail Bush's Oil economy.

You whiners arent paying nearly enough for gas yet.

[giuliop @ Jun 25th 2008 6:10AM]

Analysts are only good at vomiting useless theories. Let geniuses like Dyson do the thinking.

[wazzupalex @ Jun 25th 2008 6:14AM]

Great to see Dyson doing the Stevie J thing: Black top, short hair and gizmo in hand! Seriously, am a big fan of this chap and if there is anyone who could make a viable attempt at a practical eco friendly electric vehicle, he's the man. Did you know there is more than ONE Dyson sold in the UK per housewife? (Or it may be house hold, either way, their market penetration is outstanding.) This is why design is so important. Joke time: If Apple were to make vacuum cleaners, can we all have a go at naming their product? I'll get the ball rolling: iSuck. (Hmm, doesn't leave much room for creativity does it?) :-)

[Joe Maki @ Jun 25th 2008 9:07AM]

I'm sure they'd call it WindowsSucks

[engadgetier @ Jun 25th 2008 6:46PM]

iSuckerPodPhoneBookPro

[Owen @ Jun 25th 2008 6:15AM]

Start with a street cleaner :) A 4x4 vacuum cleaner!!!

[patsy @ Jun 25th 2008 7:38AM]

The Dyson Street Ball?

[Karel Jansens @ Jun 25th 2008 6:23AM]

Dyson? Isn't he the one who made a battery-powered dustbuster that works for like TWO MINUTES!!!??? And now he's going to make a battery-powered car...

[Stern @ Jun 25th 2008 6:31AM]

Has anyone used the airblade that this guy invented. He can even find innovation in something as mundane as hand dryers!

[applefan @ Jun 25th 2008 10:45AM]

I have, and holy crap. 400mph air really does get your hands dry!

[Niralisherni @ Jun 25th 2008 6:48AM]

Whatever innovation is done in the EV sphere is welcome because anything that will make the EV mainstream is good for us and for the environment!

[Iphone using MicroSerf @ Jun 25th 2008 2:04PM]

Yeah EV could potentially be more enviromentally BAD unless of course the Tree hungers let Nuke Plants become 80% of our power generation rather than the 80% that generated by coal

(its funn to me that tree hugers never seem to live in the forest .... they allways seem to live in the city .... hmmmm)

[L.Rawlins @ Jun 25th 2008 7:13AM]

Dyson's a genius. I've seen one of his washing machines in store, and stopping off at the services last week used one of his alien-esque 'Airblade' hand dryers. I'm all for innovation in any field, and this guy with his team has a proven track record.

Their concepts should prove really interesting.

[Atlas @ Jun 25th 2008 7:19AM]

I love his vacuum cleaner and its a very good design presumably he is a pretty bright guy with a lot of money and a pretty good R&D team to back him up i cant see why he wouldn't have as much or a chance at cracking the efficient electric engine as any other guy. You guys are way harsh on this guy. if he can do to cars what his Vacuums did to everyday cleaning he has a shot at becoming an international sensation and maybe weaning us off petrol like he did for vacuum cleaner bags

[patsy @ Jun 25th 2008 7:41AM]

> if he can do to cars what his Vacuums did to everyday cleaning

What, add more brightly colored plastic in funky shapes and double the price? Then you've got the Smart.

[Forrest @ Jun 25th 2008 10:03AM]

Have you actually USED a Dyson patsy? We have three of their vacuums (the ball one, an upright and the hand vac) and they are all excellent at what they do. Expensive, maybe, but they are also high quality.

I'd love to see what they can come up with.

[lance @ Jun 25th 2008 7:45AM]

I think this could turn in to something great and the guys got the brains and cash (or at least assets and connections) to make it happen. And I have a feeling that would look great also.
And of course have a built in hand vac to clean your car with.

[Richy @ Jun 25th 2008 7:50AM]

Well, the Sinclair C5 had an engine from a Hoover. So, if the Dyson electric car is to cars what the Dyson vacuum is to Hoovers, it should very good indeed.

From very happy owner of Dyson DC0somethingorother.

[Bad Beaver @ Jun 25th 2008 8:39AM]

Hm, that will be interesting. Their vacuum cleaners are superb. Incredible suction that just keeps going with minimal maintenance, and even the little maintenance you have to do is actually *fun* due to the good engineering. Can they do a good car? In the end, who knows. All I know is that they do not release a product they are not satisfied with.