Model X

Make
Tesla
Segment
SUV

It's been nearly two years since vacuum cleaner manufacturer Dyson announced plans to join the electric car bandwagon. Since then, few details have been released about the company's plans, but we now know what form Dyson's first EV could take thanks to new patent images.

The patents were originally filed back in 2017 but have now been made public, showing a sleek electric crossover with a long wheelbase, a seven-seat layout, and a low roofline that gives it a coupe-SUV-style silhouette. The patents also suggest Dyson is developing a vehicle with unusually large wheels and a raked windshield to improve the car's efficiency and compete with the Tesla Model X.

Documents accompanying the patent say that the vehicle's ground clearance is around 11.8 inches, which is "comparatively high as compared to saloon or sedan-like vehicles, although the front row of passengers are supported within the vehicle in a more low-down, sedan-like seating position".

A long wheelbase of around 10.4-10.5 feet should also ensure there's plenty of space for the batteries to ensure a long driving range. Other dimensions mentioned in the documents include a height of between 5.2 and 5.9 feet, and an overall length of between 15 and 16.7 meters. This would give it similar proportions to the Range Rover Sport PHEV, but with even more ground clearance.

However, in an email sent to staff and obtained by Bloomberg, founder James Dyson said the patents "don't reveal what our vehicle will really look like or give any specifics around what it will do," but they do "provide a glimpse of some of the inventive steps" the company is weighing.

Dyson has invested $2.6 billion to its automotive division and hired former Infiniti boss Roland Krueger to oversee the division's 500 staff. Last year, the company announced plans to build a new plant in Singapore to start production of its first EV in 2021 if everything goes to plan.