Tesla boss Elon Musk is not known for admiring his competition, but when Chinese manufacturer Nio made its 100,000th electric car last week, he offered his congratulations. It was a mark of respect from a chief executive who had been through "manufacturing hell" with his own company. Yet it is also a sign of the growing influence of China's electric carmakers. They are hoping to stake out a spot among the heavyweights of the new industry and bring a significant new challenge to Tesla – and to the rest of the automotive industry as it scrambles to catch up. Tesla mania and cheap money have pushed the market valuations of a clutch of electric carmakers to astonishing levels.

Household appliance-maker Dyson today (Thursday) announced it is accelerating plans to develop electric cars in Britain – with a £200 million investment in track-testing facilities at its new UK research centre. The firm, which is branching out from its vacuum cleaners and hair driers to take on car giants with a new generation of high-tech electric vehicles, said the move would create'more high-skilled jobs for Britain'. It is being viewed as another vote of confidence in the United Kingdom in the run up to Brexit next Spring. Cleaning up in the electric car market: This artist's impression shows how Dyson's new campus at Hullavington Airfield in Wiltshire could look as it ramps up efforts to produce a range of new electric cars Dyson is currently recruiting an additional 300 automotive engineers on top of the 400 already in place and has said the electric car project could see the firm's present UK workforce nearly double to around 8,000. The battery-powered electric cars are being designed and developed in the UK, however lower labour costs mean final assembly is likely to be in South East Asia where much of the firm's wider electronic and hi-tech production already takes place.