Broader horizons for Roland Krueger, it seems.
British maker of hand-dryers Dyson, who are now head-long into their electric vehicle ambitions, are all all-hands-on-deck as far as getting that product to the market in concerned. Their latest move comes in the form of talent acquisition, with Infiniti CEO Roland Krueger snatched away to head-up Dyson’s EV division.
Krueger had been with Infiniti since 2015, and left early this month citing a desire to “pursue other opportunities.” However when quizzed, Dyson boss Jim Rowan confirmed the new hire, saying that Krueger is a “very well-respected & experienced executive within the industry,” and that his appointment “proves how serious [Dyson] are about taking this [EV] project and this division to the next level.”
More than US$1-billion has been earmarked as investment into the Dyson EV project, which includes the relocation of group headquarters to Singapore, where the company already maintains a robust operations base. The electric cars from the company will also be built on the small island state, where Dyson already builds the digital motors for its hand-dryers, hair-dryers, vacuum cleaners and fans.
“Singapore also offers access to high-growth markets as well as an extensive supply chain & a highly-skilled workforce. Singapore has a comparatively high cost-base, but also great technology expertise & focus. It is therefore the right place to make high-quality technology-loaded machines, and the right place to make our electric vehicle.” – Jim Rowan, Chief Executive Officer, Dyson
Dyson transferred its production facilities from Wiltshire in the UK to Malaysia in 2002, and in 2004 it opened its first Singaporean production facility on the back of investment with a financial group made there. 2013 saw the introduction of Dyson’s digital motor manufacturing plant, which has grown significantly since then. The company’s communications and repeated mention of the supply chain suggests that for the EV, Dyson will be relying heavily on existing vendors & suppliers, and technology they already own.
Dyson’s goals suggest that there will be a 3-car lineup initially, with one SUV and one high-performance vehicle (but a sports car has been ruled out). The company will be retaining its premium, high-end image though, and so Dyson’s EVs will be be marketed & sold in preservation of that image. Don’t expect them to be cheap.
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