From robot vacuums to top-10 ambition: Dreame's audacious bet on Australia

© A. Krivonosov

Chinese company Dreame, best known for its robot vacuums, lawn mowers and other home appliances, has set its new automotive division an unusually ambitious target. Within five years, the brand wants to break into the top ten best-selling car brands in Australia.

The goal looks audacious: Dreame has yet to reveal a production car and has not sold a single vehicle. By rough estimates, cracking Australia’s top 10 would require the brand to move more than 41,000 cars a year — if benchmarked against 2025 market figures. And sales in Australia are not expected to begin before 2027.

James Moore, head of Dreame’s automotive division for Australia and New Zealand, stressed that the marque does not intend to compete with other Chinese brands on price alone. According to him, Dreame is aiming at the mid-to-premium segment. Potential body styles for Australia include small, mid-size and large SUVs, as well as pickups. Fully electric models are set to form the backbone of the line-up, though plug-in hybrids are also on the table.

The real question, for now, is not the design of future models or the loud announcements — it’s the actual cars. Dreame still has to show production vehicles, set up manufacturing, service and a dealer network, and prove that a home-appliance brand can become a fully fledged carmaker.