������ý

UK taxpayers gave around £5 million to Dyson to support the electric car project that it scrapped this week, the company says.

James Dyson told staff yesterday that, while the firm had developed a “fantastic” car, it wasn’t commercially viable and he would be ending the project, which was launched in 2016. The electric car unit employs 500 people, who the company hopes to redeploy.

However, the project involved the UK government giving millions of pounds in funding. The firm told New ������ý that it had drawn down £5 million of a £16 million grant to support the project.

Dyson says the money was spent as intended, on research and development. A spokesperson says: “The funding we have received from the UK government is to support Dyson’s research and development of battery technologies. Our development of battery technology will not change in light of this announcement.”

However, government documents have previously shown the money was primarily destined to help development of an electric car.

“The government is funding Dyson to develop a new battery electric vehicle at their headquarters in Malmesbury, Wiltshire. This will secure £174m of investment in the area, creating over 500 jobs, mostly in engineering,” .

The government has been an enthusiastic backer of electric cars. This summer it to help the carmaker sell electric vehicles.­­­­­­­­