Dyson abandons electric car project: report

The firm said that it is no longer "commercially viable".

UK-based vacuum manufacturer Dyson will cease its electric car projects, laying off about 523 employees in Singapore and in the UK, according to a report by BBC. 

About 20 people are working under the firm’s automotive division in the nation. In an email to the affected employees, James Dyson said that they “can no longer see a way to make it commercially viable.”

He further revealed that he failed to find a buyer to take over the project.

Meanwhile, Economic Development Board (EDB) said that this move is not expected to have much of an impact in Singapore.

“As Dyson’s decision not to pursue the electric vehicle business was taken at an early stage, the disruption to its operations and workforce in Singapore will be minimal. Singapore and Dyson have enjoyed a strong partnership for more than ten years and we look forward to building on this partnership,” said Tan Kong Hwee, assistant managing director, EDB.

Bloomberg reported in September that Dyson plans to hire about 20,000 people in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. The firm first announced that they would relocate their headquarters to the Lion City in October 2018.