Drive.com
CHINESE technology company Dreame has unveiled ambitious plans to become one of Australia’s top 10 best-selling car brands within five years, despite not yet selling a single production vehicle anywhere in the world.
Best known internationally for robot vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers and smart home electronics, the company only revealed its automotive ambitions late last year, initially showcasing a range of futuristic electric supercar concepts.
Now, Dreame says Australia will play a key role in its automotive expansion strategy, with mainstream SUV models expected to arrive locally as early as 2027.
Speaking to Drive, Dreame automotive lead for Australia and New Zealand James Moore said the company had no intention of competing in the crowded budget end of the market dominated by many Chinese rivals.
“We are looking to benchmark ourselves at the mid to high tier,” he said.
“We are not interested in coming in as a race to the bottom. We’ve seen many brands come in to compete at that budget price point, and it’s a very congested market.”
If Dreame were to achieve its Top 10 ambition, the company would likely need to exceed 40,000 annual sales based on current Australian market figures, a remarkable target for a start-up automotive brand with no current production models.
The company has already revealed several eye-catching concepts under its Nebula sub-brand, including the futuristic Nebula Next 01 sedan and a matching SUV concept.
One version of the Nebula Next 01 even claims a staggering 0-100km/h acceleration time of just 0.9 seconds thanks to experimental rocket booster technology.
However, Dreame’s first Australian models are expected to be far more conventional.
Rather than launching with exotic supercars, the company plans to focus on high-volume market segments including small, medium and large SUVs, while also hinting at potential ute and utility vehicle offerings.
“The models that we’ve selected fall within between three and four segments, and it would be no surprise that they will generally fit in the volume segments that we’re seeing massive growth in at the moment,” Moore said.
The company has also indicated plug-in hybrid and range-extender electric vehicle technology remains under consideration for future models.
