Dyson hiring 300 extra workers for electric car following expansion into huge hangar

Dyson is recruiting 300 extra automotive workers for its electric vehicle development following a recent expansion into huge restored hangars.

The British company, founded by James Dyson in 1991 and best known for its vacuum cleaners and hand-dryers, has also submitted an ambitious planning application for over 10 miles of testing track for the new car.

The vehicle was announced in September 2017 following three years of development. It is expected to be an upmarket rival to Tesla models, using the firm’s expertise in solid state batteries, motors, vision systems, robotics, HVAC and aerodynamics.  

“Our growing automotive team is now working from Dyson’s state-of-the-art hangars at Hullavington Airfield,” said CEO Jim Rowan. “It will quickly become a world-class vehicle testing campus where we hope to invest £200m, creating more high-skilled jobs for Britain. We are now firmly focused on the next stage of our automotive project strengthening our credentials as a global research and development organization.”

The hangars already house 400 members of the company’s automotive team. A further three buildings will provide an additional 15,000m² of testing space in the coming months.

The second phase, including dynamic handling and off-road tracks, will take the company’s investment in the site to £200m if planning applications are approved.