Filling a vacuum in Singapore

The Dyson electric car will be manufactured in Singapore, and the company aims to have them on sale by 2021.

So it appears the concept of the vacuum cleaner company producing an electric car is more than just hot air.

This is despite the fact that no one has built a vehicle in Singapore since Ford pulled out almost 40 years ago, and that the city state has a relatively high cost base.

The billionaire inventor of the bagless vacuum cleaner, Sir James Dyson, said this week the decision was based on supply chains, access to markets and the availability of expertise.

Though Singapore has some of the highest average salaries in the world after tax, and a shortage of land available for industrial use, the city state offers generous incentive schemes for high-tech firms such as Dyson.

These include tax breaks and grants which encourage high-end manufacturers and companies using automated production processes.

Given the way Dyson has pushed the boundaries in its core business, it is easy to see why Singapore would encourage it to develop there.

The decision is in stark contrast to Tesla, which has instead gone to the world’s largest market for electric cars, China.

The American company is building its first overseas gigafactory near Shanghai.

But, like its vacuum cleaners, it is clear the new Dyson electric car will be at the premium end of the market.

Various pictures of the Dyson electric car have emerged online, showing the new model could be an up-market and sleek four-door sports car .