Dyson to build electric cars in Singapore | Hacker News Reader

Dyson to build electric cars in Singapore

theguardian.com

52 pointsmavdi44 comments

Side note: James Dyson now owns more farmland than anyone else in UK.

https://whoownsengland.org/2017/09/19/why-is-james-dyson-hoo...

Interesting businessman

subsidies...the more land you own, the more you get. Probably got massive subsidies from Singapore to build EV's there. Doesn't really matter if they suck or not, still money in bank and tax deductions in UK (transferring vacuum profits to fund saving the planet with EVs)

Although I understand what you are trying to say, that is not accurate by a long shot:

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/homeandproperty/the-uks-50-b...

Nonetheless, the hypocrisy of Dyson supporting Brexit and then setting up in Singapore is not lost.

Like most of the Brexit backers he didn't really do much business in Europe, pretty much anybody who did was pro-remain.

Farmland not land

Yes true, misread your comment.

Surprising level of disdain for Dyson here, which is consistent with HNs renewed fetish for robust older tech that lasts forever. To me, Dyson is a fascinating company, having totally changed the vacuum market by nixing the distinction between uprights and handheld “dustbusters”. The V# handheld line made vacuuming something quick (dare I say fun?), and easy to do a little bit of almost daily, as opposed to a dreaded weekly chore. They recently announced that they have suspended development of new plug-in vacuums due to the success of the handhelds.

They are revealing as little as possible on the automotive front (easier to do since they are privately held). This is contrasted with the Barnum and Bailey atmosphere created by Musk rolling out a concept vehicle or new product every 6 months with no developed plan to take to market (see also Tesla roof tiles, “full autonomy” by end of 2017, random tweets about pick up trucks, etc).

Dyson is bootstrapping automotive off of profits from their current electric engine product lines and rumors are that they are pouring R&D cash into solid state batteries, which would benefit their entire product line but totally revolutionize automotive.

They simply write Cordless Stick Vacuums on the Dyson site. Great product.

Model S delivered, Model X delivered, Model 3 delivered, etc.

Dyson is moving away from solid state batteries. No one has been able to make them work at scale. https://electrek.co/2018/02/15/dyson-all-electric-vehicles-s... (FT article behind paywall)

I work in Dyson Singapore. News was announced today afternoon. So curious how Dyson gonna find big enough land to build the factory in Singapore. Guess government will support this. On the other hand, heard that all profit from vacuum and purifier is transferring to EV. And it seems it's one of the reason Dyson re-struct the bonus plan started earlier this year.

So they're literally betting the farm on this one... bold, but I am skeptical.

Arguably we're all betting the farm by continuing to burn fossil fuels. Electrified transport isn't a cure-all panacea, but it IS a path forward whereas the status quo is a dead end.

Some billionaires are buying estates in New Zealand because they're scared of coming instabilities and are looking for a place to hole up. Kudos to this one for instead of tackling it head on and building adaptive solutions he can sell.

Most likely near the Punggol area.

Batteries, batteries, batteries.

Everyone wants them and needs them, now that they’re being used in home electricity storage. Production is ramping up, but it would seem that battery production will be the main constraint for a few years.

My armchair expertise comes from watching a YouTube video on microgrids...

Mind you the world should be a better place, but there’s quite a few more turns to go.

I won't buy one. Their quality has dropped way down in the past few years. I got one of their vacuum cleaners in 2005 and it worked great for years. Picked up just about anything I tried it on. Then a family member decided it would be good as a shop vac and that was that.

So I got another one around 2010 and it is terrible. It is flimsy, makes this obnoxious screeching noise when you use the hose, and, worst of all, it has very little suction power. I happened upon a relatively cheap Bissell vac and that thing puts the Dyson to shame. I'll never buy another Dyson product again. It's clear to me they've decided marketing is more important than quality.

I got the Dyson Ball Animal in 2016 and it flexes as if it's made out of wet cardboard when you pick it up. I expected much more for the price and would never buy a Dyson again. It wasn't better at cleaning than most newer vacuums either.

My $250 Shark Duoclean/TruePet is a much better value, has the same if not more powerful suction and is solid.

I sold mine for a gleaming 1970s polished aluminium relic, that has 3x the power, cheap consumables, and will outlast me. I do not understand people who buy a new vacuum every few years. Its a tool, not a disposible cup.

Because whose new vacuums die in no time. And I'm afraid to spend big $$$ because I'm worried those vacuums will die as fast. I might give Miele a try though.

Replaced our Dyson upright with a Miele canister -- it's considerably easier to use, and picks up dog hair better. It uses more consumables but the combo pack of a filter + 4 bags they sell will cover about a year of use. Overall I'm much happier with the Miele.

Oh, yes! Certainly Miele. Built lake a tank and actually works.

Although Dysons do have a more futuristic look, but that's not the most important part of a vacuum.

Briefly considered buying one, but chose a cheap wet/dry shop vac instead. A bit noisy, but I dont vacuum everyday. That thing sucks, blows, dust, water, you name it ...love it.

Which one did you get?

https://www.screwfix.com/p/titan-ttb350vac-1300w-16ltr-wet-d...

Dyson seemed to be the Amstrad of vacuum cleaners.

Seems like a bizarre choice. Why not build it over the border in Malaysia, Indonesia or Thailand?

Dyson already has a large automated fab & assembly plant in Singapore for its appliance motors. Maybe there are some economies to expanding their facility vs. relocating.

Fta with US. FTA with China. FTA with EU.FtA with Japan and Korea.

Pretty much almost every developed nation has an fta with Singapore.

Of course, Dyson supported Brexit to lower his import costs.

And few days after this: "Singapore, EU ink landmark free trade agreement"

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/singapore-eu-i...

If that was the reason, it wasn't the smartest move given the devaluation of the currency.

I was of the opinion it had more to do with his company's fairly lacklustre vacuum cleaners being exposed when they were compared under the ERP directive in a way in which they didn't come out favourably compared with their German competition. [0]

[0] https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/11075490/James-D...

Given that the UK government has not yet settled on exactly one specific post-Brexit economic policy in order to guide what they ask for in the negotiations, I’m fairly sure that between half and 2/3 of Brexit campaigners will be very upset regardless of what happens. It’s possible that number will be higher, but it won’t be lower.

I'm pretty sure everybody is going to come out of this exercise disappointed.

Except, perhaps in the long term, those that want the UK to adopt the common currency.

https://youtu.be/avFB5_1jf3I

The only thing he cares about is putting more money in his pocket whatever the cost: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/jul/10/whos-who-br...

I used to work there. It's really because he is a control freak. He hates having EU laws imposed on him.

Well, if he wants to sell to a block of 250 million people, he's going to have to make EU-compliant vacuums anyway.

~510 million - https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/tgm/table.do?tab=table&plugin=...

Singapore is so small that they could probably get by riding around in electric golf carts instead of cars.

air conditioning could be an issue ?

Please don't post unsubstantive comments here.

It's a good market to start an electric car in because the range issues are basically non-existent and the infrastructure is well-maintained, relatively new, and consistent.

That's better.

Considering it's also one of the most expensive cities to live in, there's also a large market for the types of luxury items Dyson typically markets.

Though, I hope Dyson isn't looking to exploit Singapore's lack of labor regulations (no minimum wage or overtime restrictions) to utilize cheap labor.

those cars will be very expensive, be based upon their cyclone technology, will scratch super easy and feel super cheap (basing on their vacuums).

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