Dyson, the home appliances company, is reportedly entering into the electric car arena.
A potentially accidental leak of government documents last week indicated the United Kingdom-based firm was working on an energy-efficient vehicle at its headquarters in Wiltshire, according to The Guardian. Financial support will be given by the country’s government to Dyson as part of a program called the National Infrastructure Delivery Plan, which is a five year initiative aimed at improving different aspects of Britain’s infrastructure through various transportation and communication projects.
Details surrounding the vehicle are sparse, but Fortune noted that Dyson’s acquisition of battery startup Sakti3 last year for $90 million could play a crucial role in this venture.
According to the documents published by the U.K. government, Dyson will receive a £16m investment to help support research and development into battery technology at the corporate headquarters.
Sakti3 is an eight-year old startup specializing in “solid-state” lithium-ion batteries. A key component of this module is that they use solid material for energy storage making them safer and less flammable compared to their counterparts who use a liquid compound.
The complex in Wiltshire could be used to manufacture these batteries at a large clip, but Fortune added that Sakti3’s products will probably be used Dyson’s series of cordless vacuums first.
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