Image Courtesy: Dreame

Dreame, the Chinese company best known for robot vacuums and smart home appliances, has abandoned plans to develop luxury electric vehicles, ending one of the more unusual attempts by a consumer technology company to enter the automotive industry.

The company launched its “Star Project” in 2025 with ambitions to build what it described as the world’s fastest car. It later unveiled the Nebula NEXT 01 sports coupe and NEXT 01X luxury SUV, while also exploring international showrooms. The decision to end the project was described as a “proactive strategic choice,” according to Chinese news outlets.

Dreame had previously promoted an extraordinary 1,876-horsepower electric hypercar, with four motors and a claimed 0-to-62-mph time of about 1.8 seconds. The company later went even further with a proposed “Jet Edition” that used solid-fuel rocket boosters to target a 0-to-62-mph sprint of just 0.9 seconds.

Rocket assistance was based on a genuine engineering concept. Once a car reaches the limits of tire traction, adding more wheel power does not necessarily produce faster acceleration. Independent rocket thrust could theoretically provide additional force without relying on tire grip. Turning that concept into a safe, practical production vehicle, however, would have presented major engineering challenges.

Dreame’s automotive operation reportedly grew to nearly 1,000 employees before a rapid wind-down. The remaining workforce has been reduced to a few dozen people handling matters including supplier settlements and corporate deregistration.

Dreame said its decision followed a review of the industry’s lengthy research and development and manufacturing cycles, heavy investment requirements and intense market competition. The company said the vehicle project never reached mass production and did not involve significant heavy-asset investment, meaning its cancellation is not expected to materially affect its financial condition.

Instead, Dreame plans to redeploy technology, intellectual property and research developed during the project across areas including smart mobility, robotics and research and development. The company said its core businesses remain operational.

The reversal highlights the difficulty of moving from consumer electronics into automobile manufacturing. While electric powertrains and modern software have lowered some barriers to entry, producing safe, reliable vehicles at scale requires enormous investment, specialized manufacturing infrastructure and years of development.

Dreame’s brief automotive adventure ultimately went from a 1,876-hp hypercar and a rocket-assisted acceleration concept to a complete withdrawal, before either vehicle reached commercial production.