No Room for Cars Alongside Vacuum Cleaners? Dreame Is Said to Have Largely Abandoned Its Car Plans

The household appliance manufacturer Dreame wanted to enter the automotive industry with an electric hypercar, rocket propulsion, and a solid-state battery with more than 450 Wh/kg. Chinese media now report layoffs and the possible dissolution of associated companies. An official confirmation of the complete end of the car plans is still pending.

In August 2025, Dreame Technology announced its entry into the automobile business. The company, primarily known for vacuum cleaners and cleaning robots, aimed to transfer its expertise in high-speed motors to electric vehicles. Within a short period, several business units and companies were established to work on different vehicle concepts.

The Nebula NEXT 01 garnered a great deal of attention. Dreame initially presented the vehicle at CES 2026 and introduced a so-called JET Edition in April in San Francisco. The concept vehicle was designed to feature four electric drives along with two solid-fuel rockets. According to the company, these should deliver up to 100 kN of thrust and enable acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 0.9 seconds.

At the same time, Dreame announced a sulfide-based solid-state cell with 60 Ah and a gravimetric energy density of more than 450 Wh/kg. This value was reportedly achieved during lab testing of individual cells. The company did not release independent measurements or detailed technical data. The transition from the presented concept to a production vehicle ready for approval also remains unclear.

Chinese Media Report on the Liquidation

Just a few months after the presentations, there are increasing indications that Dreame is significantly scaling back its automotive activities. The Chinese news portal China Economic Net, citing former employees, reports that the project team, which once consisted of nearly 1,000 employees, has been reduced to just a few dozen people. These remaining employees are said to primarily belong to the finance, legal, and HR departments, handling the outstanding organizational tasks.

According to the informants, companies associated with the "Starry Sky" automobile project are also to be liquidated. Remaining tasks reportedly include addressing outstanding supplier claims and preparing corporate legal steps. Layoffs are said to have occurred in several waves since May 2026.

This information has not yet been confirmed by publicly accessible company documents or a corresponding statement from Dreame. Nor can a completed dissolution of the central project company be inferred from publicly available registry information.

Officially, the Car Project Becomes a Technology Development

Dreame's official account so far is more reserved. The company had already announced a strategic reorganization in June 2026. According to this, the previously independent automotive activities were to be integrated into an industrial research institute. Instead of short-term commercial implementation, the focus there would be on fundamental development, patents, and technological groundwork.

This effectively meant that Dreame at least abandoned its original timeline for establishing its own vehicle business. An independent organization for development, production, sales, and service is no longer planned under this strategy. However, insights from areas such as motor control, power electronics, or intelligent vehicle systems could still be applied to other products within the group.

Dreame has not yet spoken of a complete abandonment of automotive technology. Describing it as a research and technology reserve allows the company to continue individual developments without having to promise a production-ready vehicle or a definitive market launch.

Doubts about the Presented Vehicles

Furthermore, Chinese media reports raise questions about the development status of the showcased vehicles. According to China Economic Net, former employees claim that the model presented at CES did not have a complete chassis and was remotely controlled. The rocket vehicle later exhibited in San Francisco is reported to have been based on a purchased model, which was equipped with a chassis and thrust bodies for the presentation.

These statements cannot currently be independently verified. However, they contrast with the impression Dreame conveyed with terms like "launch" and detailed performance figures. Based on available information, the Nebula NEXT 01 JET Edition was a concept and demonstration vehicle. There is no publicly documented test drive in which the claimed 0.9 seconds were actually measured.

The same applies to the announced solid-state battery. More than 450 Wh/kg would be an impressive value for a sulfide-based cell. However, without details on measurement conditions, cell design, cycle stability, safety, and production yield, no conclusions can be drawn about its readiness for mass production. Additionally, an energy density at the cell level is not equivalent to the energy density of a complete battery pack.

According to former employees, the automotive project was said to be strongly focused on public attention and raising capital. Development budgets were reportedly partially dependent on first securing investors or subsidies. These statements also come from the environment of former employees and have not been confirmed by Dreame.

Note: The claims about the allegedly incomplete CES model, the purchased "Rocket Car," and the impending liquidation originate from the report by China Economic Net. Several other media outlets are merely referencing this research. There are currently no independent confirmations.