British vacuum maker Dyson appears to have its eyes set on the auto industry, as government documents suggest that it is building its own electric car.
While the company did not rule out rumors last year that it was working on such a project, documents entitled "National Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2016-2021," which were apparently accidently revealed on Wednesday, suggest that an electric car is in the works. Dyson would join several other non-auto companies that have started developing their own EV technology, such as Apple and Google.
"We are ruling nothing out," Dyson CEO Max Conze said when asked last year about the project. "Like our friends in Cupertino [Apple] we are also unhealthily obsessive when it comes to taking apart out products to make them better."
Dyson also makes hand dryers, bladeless fans and other products that use the same kind of motors found in electric cars.
The documents claim that Dyson would receive backing from the U.K. government in the form of 174 million pounds (nearly $250 million) in funding, and the vehicle would be built at the company's headquarters in Malmesbury, Wiltshire.
Such a venture would make sense for Dyson, as the company has previously said that it wants to invest 1 billion pounds (about $1.4 billion) into battery technology over the next five years, and it bought battery startup Sakit3 last year for $90 million. Dyson's new batteries could be used for its electric cars along with its high-tech vacuums and other gadgets.
Sakit3 was known for making "solid-state" lithium ion batteries that have the ability to be safer and less flammable than alternatives since it uses a solid material instead of a liquid one. Reports also claim that Dyson is looking to build a factory for its Sakit3 batteries.
The documents also note that Dyson's EV venture could create over 500 jobs, most of which would be in the engineering field.
Building an electric car would also put Dyson in competition with major automakers like Tesla and BMW that are building their own EVs, but the Sakit3 acquisition and recent government funding would give Dyson the help it needs to eventually make its name known in the market.
