Is the future of cars Dyson? Can he hoover up the EV competition?

Sir James Dyson has broken ranks and has his eyes firmly set on the EV market. From a purely British perspective alone, this is an exciting development. But how will he agitate the EV market enough to allow a Dyson EV to truly flourish, amongst a myriad number of contenders to Tesla’s throne? At evhire.co, we’re prepared to speculate about how and why Dyson needs to be thinking big.

With production of this hitherto vague concept for a next generation Dyson EV slated to start in 2020, there is a lot to consider. The Tesla’s for hire in our fleet took a significant amount of investment, testing and marketing to break into the vehicle market. Tesla has so much traction at present, with a trail blazing figurehead in Elon Musk, a man who whose endeavours seemingly know no bounds. It is one thing bringing a £300 boutique vacuum cleaner to a market, quite another to implement the design challenges to carve a niche for Dyson.

Let’s speculate…

Battery technology : How will Dyson set his EV apart from a Tesla?

Dyson will be using a solid-state battery system to power his EV, which at this current time would be a first for an EV. Having acquired a stake in Sakti3, it is clear that Dyson is looking to push the boat out with regard to future proofing his vehicle.

Solid-state lithium batteries can hold twice the charge of a conventional lithium battery, of that there is no disputing. In theory, this can double the capacity of the battery, so range advantages are clearly in play. We will go into that further below.

The question comes though; how will this be integrated into a new car design? How reliable is the technology? Inevitably, there may be setbacks. Small scale trials on the technology have been taking place for the last decade, though these have mostly focused on small devices, specifically mobile phones. Upgrading a this technology to a battery capable of powering an EVs drivetrain will be tall order.

One thing is for sure; Tesla will more than likely be one stage ahead. Graphene batteries look like the better bet – absurdly fast charging times, nanotech technology and capacities that will more than likely outdo a solid state battery. Tesla have been rumoured to be actively exploring graphene technology since 2014. It is not inconceivable that the next generation of Tesla’s could define the new standard in battery technology for EVs and beyond.

Will the all-important range be there?

Critical to Dyson’s EV succeeding will be the range of the vehicle. Whilst this relates in most part to the capacity and discharge rate of the battery, there is another major factor to consider.

Weight is a game changer. Our Tesla’s for hire are built from lightweight aluminium. Boron steel is used to secure the key parts of the exterior and a titanium plate covers the underneath of the chassis. This gives you reassurance that the integrity of the battery is sound; just to put this in perspective a .50 calibre bullet will barely dent an inch of titanium.

In essence, the Tesla Model S and X P100Ds that evhire.co possesses are some of the lightest vehicles to see the market not including the heavy batteries of course. Thus, the range is far superior than other vehicles that use standard materials. With a range of up to 381 miles, our Model S P100D sets the gold standard. Dyson’s EV needs to significantly best Tesla’s already proven range to stand a chance of gaining market share. Anything else would be considered a false start.

Dyson has kept his cards close to his chest on this front, and with good reason. Car designs go through a multitude of revisions. Time is not on Dyson’s side – the head start that Tesla has accrued will take a significant amount of effort and investment to surmount. Established combustion car manufacturers are still a significant way off, preferring the hybrid route.

Ultimately, range will be a major selling point when the Dyson EV comes to market.

Design is a strength, but how will the Dyson EV compare?

The Tesla Model 3 design process started in 2013, with the EV making landfall in the market in August 2017. A four year turnaround for a breakthrough EV is nothing short of remarkable. Remembering that Tesla have now cornered the market for high performance EVs for the foreseeable future

Dyson is renowned for his design prowess, no question. This is where his strengths will come to the fore. Designing an EV has a pile of challenges that can compromise the design process. Will he turn out a stunning looking vehicle? At EV Hire we think it is safe to say he will… eventually. The key hurdle that Dyson faces is getting the balance between design and ergonomics perfect. There are hints that the car will be built as a high performance, niche market EV. This is no surprise, when a Dyson fan will set you back a cool £500.

But price is a factor – where will it sit? Let’s not forget that Toyota also plan a release for a high performance EV in 2020, with similar solid state battery technology.

We salute Sir James Dyson for his foray into the market and wish him all the best. Rest assured, we’ll be keeping a close eye on the genesis of the Dyson EV.

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