Dyson to launch electric car by 2020

James Dyson, billionaire inventor of the bagless vacuum cleaner, has said his company is building an electric car which will launch by 2020, making the firm the latest to challenge traditional carmakers in a burgeoning market.

Tesla has already shaken up the sector and Dyson said it would now spend £2bn (€2.2bn) on solid-state battery technology and vehicle design.

Dyson had been developing new battery and electric motor technology for its vacuum cleaners and other products for the past 20 years, Mr Dyson said.