With Dyson on board, Singapore pitches hi-tech credentials to woo other electric car makers to set up shop
- Chng Kai Fong, managing director of the Singapore Economic Development Board, says they are talking to a couple of other green carmakers to set up shop on the island
- Dyson, the maker of hand dryers and vacuum cleaners, plans to complete its US$2.6 billion car factory by 2020 and roll out its first model the following year
Following Dyson’s plans late last year to manufacture its first electric car in Singapore, the city state is now in talks with other makers of green vehicles to set up shop on the island.
Singapore is pitching its connectivity to global markets through free-trade agreements, its highly skilled workforce and stringent protection of intellectual property, which is critical for the industry, according to the government agency set up to attract investments to the country.
“Hopefully they won’t be the only one we land,” Chng Kai Fong, managing director of the Singapore Economic Development Board, said in an interview, referring to Dyson’s plans. “We’re in active negotiations or discussions with a couple of others. The whole idea is to build clusters.”
Bringing in other electric car manufacturers will create scale for the sector in Singapore, which is also spurring the development of autonomous vehicles in the country. The use of hi-tech robotics and automation, as well as supply chain management and connectivity, could help dispel concerns on the high labour costs in Singapore.
“It’s much more of a capital game than a labour game,” Chng said in San Francisco, where his agency hosted two technology-related conferences including the Bridge Forum. “That plays to our strength.”
Dyson, the closely held manufacturer of hand dryers and vacuum cleaners, said in October it plans to complete its factory by 2020 with the goal of rolling out its first model by 2021 as part of a £2 billion (US$2.6 billion) effort to expand into cars.