Dreame Nebula Next Auto is looking to make a splash in the United States and they’re hosting an event in San Francisco later this month. However, they’re not stopping there as the company has “deepened its engagement with leading academic institutions.”

The vacuum giant turned automaker pointed to a recent event at the University of California, Berkeley suggesting it could help accelerate the “development of AI-defined vehicles and next-generation autonomous systems.” As part of the “engagement,” engineers met with Berkeley researchers specializing in autonomous control systems, intelligent transportation, and artificial intelligence.

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The group discussed “translating advanced research into real-world vehicle systems, with particular emphasis on safety, control and full-stack AI integration.” However, it remains unclear if this was a one-off event or part of a deeper collaboration.

The company implied it’s the latter as they said the “visit forms part of a broader strategy to anchor Nebula Next’s development in deep technical collaboration. By working closely with academic experts, the company is strengthening its approach to autonomous driving, vehicle intelligence and system-level engineering.”

Dreame is best-known for vacuums and pool cleaners, but the company showcased the Nebula Next 01 concept at CES. Billed as a “four-door electric hyper-sedan,” the firm claimed the model had over 1,973 hp (1,471 kW / 2,000 PS) and could accelerate from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 1.8 seconds.

While the Chinese company botched the introduction in January, it appears they brought the concept to the Berkley campus as a few pictures surfaced online. That detail suggests the event might have been more show than anything else.

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Dreame, best known for robotic vacuums and home gadgets, is now chasing something far larger than dust. The Chinese tech company has revealed another addition to its planned automotive lineup, a crossover concept called the Nebula Next 01X. The tall, coupe-like EV made its public debut this week at the China Home Appliances and Consumer Electronics Expo.

The tech firm has not put a single production car into showrooms yet, but its automotive ambitions are already split across three separate brands: Nebula Next, Kosmera, and Star Motor. The 01X builds directly on the Nebula Next 01 coupe revealed back in January.

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That car sat low and sleek, but much of its styling DNA has simply been lifted and stretched upward here, turning the concept into something that lands closer to the Ferrari Purosangue end of the crossover spectrum.

Tech To Match The Looks

Dreame’s Star Motor brand has already shown a willingness to borrow heavily from existing cars. With the 01X, the company seems to be borrowing from itself instead. The crossover closely mirrors the earlier 01 Coupe. It wears the same vivid green paint, and the lower sections of the body are trimmed in carbon fiber. The Ferrari-inspired LED headlights appear unchanged, and the rear end follows almost exactly the same design theme.

For as wild as the shape of the SUV is, it’s perhaps what’s found under the skin that’s most interesting. Dreame claims to have developed the first volume-production-ready solid-state battery pack, aiming to start a small number of deliveries this year before ramping up production in 2027.

According to Dreame, the 01X’s battery pack is a 60Ah unit with an energy density of 450 Wh/kg. Thanks to battery packs delivering a stupendous 1,876 hp, the vehicle can apparently hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 1.8 seconds.

Whether or not the 01X ever lands in the hands of buyers remains to be seen. While we’ve seen plenty of established companies venture in the world of EVs successfully, such as Xiaomi, as well as numerous startups like Nio do the same, we’ve seen even more companies try and fail to do so.

Dreame has big ambitions, but creating one-off concepts is much easier than building mass-market production models, so it still has a long way to come.

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