It wasn’t so long ago that ‘smart’ devices were seen as a far-off technological frontier; one that would undoubtedly make life more convenient, but not a reality any time soon.
Fast-forward just a short time, and smartphones, watches and tablets have become embedded in most Australian homes – and the rapid advancement of technology has now blurred the line between traditional electronic products and vehicles.
For new Chinese electronics company Dreame, its current product ecosystem – which features smart products such as robot vacuums, phones, fridges and lawnmowers – will serve as the foundation for its car manufacturing.
Australia and New Zealand will be Dreame’s first global right-hand markets, with the Chinese company planning to launch a range of models within 12 to 18 months, putting the fledgling car maker’s Australian arrival sometime in mid to late 2027.
In an exclusive interview with Drive, Dreame’s car project lead for Australia and New Zealand, James Moore, said the brand’s current electronic products will inspire some of its upcoming vehicle features.
“There’s a lot of technology that sits inside Dreame’s robot vacuums in particular that can be repurposed and redesigned for the automotive space,” Moore said.
“We use things like LiDAR and flight sensors through to our individual onboard navigation, high-speed digital motors, particularly in EV vehicles, can be transitioned on a bigger and far more durable scale.
“Across our entire business, we’re taking the learnings from individual sides of our business, be that navigation, camera, security, right through to even our [electronic] fridges for example, the ability to control air, move air around, navigate through for a more aesthetic look and also the best performance."
In an automotive era where some car makers – particularly newcomers – have been criticised for their over-reliance on touchscreens and high-tech controls, the Dreame executive said the brand is planning to use classic car buttons in its future cars.
“We brought in our head of design, who is ex-Jaguar Land Rover, and one of the biggest things he brought as part of the ethos was that buttons are an unfortunate forgotten path of high-end vehicles,” he said.
“So you’ll see with a lot of our vehicles, we do have button technology back in there, and the ability to press, touch, feel, will be an ever-present feature of a Dreame vehicle.”
While Dreame’s car project lead did not confirm the exact models they will field in the Australian market, Moore did shed light on the type of cars the brand is seriously considering.
“I can’t give the full number of models that we had selected from, but it is within models that you’d expect to see on your general everyday brands coming to market,” he said.
“So those volume segments of small, medium and large SUVs, as well as potential pick-up and utility vehicles. The models that we’ve selected [fall] within three or four market segments, and it would be no surprise that they will generally fit in the market segments where we’re seeing massive growth.”
Ethan Cardinal graduated with a Journalism degree in 2020 from La Trobe University and has been working in the fashion industry as a freelance writer prior to joining Drive in 2023. Ethan greatly enjoys investigating and reporting on the cross sections between automotive, lifestyle and culture. Ethan relishes the opportunity to explore how deep cars are intertwined within different industries and how they could affect both casual readers and car enthusiasts.
