Dreame reveals the first images of its upcoming electric supercar
Dreame Technology wasn't joking when it said its first electric car will be inspired by Bugatti. The company best known for its high-tech robot vacuum cleaners and hair dryers, clearly envied Xiaomi and announced its own ambitious plans to enter the electric car market. Dreame's new EV division wasted no time in sharing a digital rendering of its very first model, a sleek machine with styling that borrows heavily from one of the world's most exclusive supercars.
Dreame is apparently planning a two-pronged attack on the automotive world with two distinct brands. The first, called Dreame Auto, goes for the stratosphere of the car market. The debut model, shown in the new rendering, is being touted as a direct competitor to the Bugatti Veyron. The company has set a target to launch this ultra-luxury, fully electric vehicle in 2027. This is a bold strategy with the company hoping to leapfrog traditional car manufacturers and establish a presence at the very top of the performance pyramid.
The first scarce details shared about this flagship electric car suggest a serious focus on engineering. Dreame claims the vehicle's body will have a torsional stiffness of over 33,190 lb-ft per degree. In simple terms, that means the car's frame is exceptionally rigid and resistant to twisting.
To achieve this, the company says it will use 2,000 MPa aerospace-grade steel. The design also features a hidden B-pillar and unique coach doors, for which Dreame says it holds seven new patents. A physical prototype of this ambitious EV is scheduled to be unveiled at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in the United States.
With one brand shooting for the stars, Dreame's second brand, named Star Auto, will target the more mainstream luxury EV segment. This division has models like the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and various Bentley vehicles in its sights. The first vehicle from this brand is expected to be an SUV called the D9. It will reportedly be available in four different versions: Standard, Pro, Max, and Ultra. Prices are projected to range from RMB 269,900 (about £27,700) to RMB 589,900 (£60,400).
To make this all happen, Dreame is pursuing a global strategy of "China R&D, Germany manufacturing, global sales." The company has already secured its first round of private funding for the automotive venture. Founder and CEO Yu Hao recently led a team to Germany to scout locations for a factory.
The preferred site is in Brandenburg, near Tesla's Gigafactory Berlin. In a show of confidence, Dreame plans to open a manufacturing plant that is 1.2 times larger than Tesla's facility in the same region, using Germany's established supply chain for automotive parts.
For a company founded in 2017 and known for selling home appliances in over 120 countries, this leap into the fiercely competitive world of electric cars is something else. Building a car is vastly more complex than building a vacuum cleaner, but Xiaomi has already proven it can be done. Building a Bugatti competitor? That is a challenge few have ever succeeded in. We'll be following this one closely - succeed or fail, this will be the story to watch.
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