Singapore, which currently has no car manufacturing facility, will get its first one in 2020, and it will be for an electric car. Dyson Ltd., which is famous for its high-end vacuum cleaners, announced that Singapore will be the site of its first electric car manufacturing venture. The UK-based manufacturer first announced its ambition to enter the electric car market in September 2017.

Development of its electric car is going on at its research facility in Wiltshire, UK, where 400 of its 4,800 UK staff are working on the project. A few months ago, the company said it will expand its operation to accommodate as many as 2,000 employees.

CEO Jim Rowan said the decision to choose Singapore, despite the absence of a car industry on the island-state, was complex, and “based on supply chains, access to markets and the availability of the expertise that will help us achieve our ambitions.”

Singapore’s proximity to high-growth markets in Asia was key, he added. He also highlighted the availability of engineering talent in Singapore.

Dyson said the electric car manufacturing facility will be completed by 2020 and its first model will be ready by 2021.

The Singapore plant is part of the company’s GBP 2.5 billion (USD3.25 billion) investment in new technology globally.

Dyson manufactures electric motors for its other products, such as vacuum cleaners and fans, in Singapore, where it employs 1,100 people. The number of its workforce in Singapore is expected to more than double after the electric car manufacturing facility is built.

Dyson also has manufacturing facilities in Malaysia and the Philippines.

It does not make any of its products in the UK.