Dyson plans to develop electric car by 2020

Dyson has announced plans to build an electric car by 2020, promising to create hundreds of jobs.

Founder Sir James Dyson says the Wiltshire company will invest £2bn to build a “radical” motor over the next three years.

Half of that investment will go directly towards the vehicle's creation, while the rest will fund battery technology that could be adapted for a variety of uses.

He says Dyson has already begun assembling a team to develop the new car that "combines top Dyson engineers with talented individuals from the automotive industry".

"The team is already over 400 strong, and we are recruiting aggressively."

The car will be developed at Dyson's Hullavington site, a former RAF base which the company recently purchased.

Because of competition in the industry Dyson says no details of the planned engine will be released.

The inventor says the idea of an electric car has been brewing for decades amid concerns about vehicle emissions.