Now Sir James wants to build 10 miles of tracks on the 520-acre site which will be used to examine cars’ performance when tackling corners, high speeds and inclines, as well as their ability to handle off-road driving.

The application also include plans to create 45,000sq m of buildings capable of accommodating 2,000 people, work which will take Dyson’s spending on the site to more than £200m so far.

Last September Sir James confirmed long-rumoured plans his company - which has earned him a £9.5bn fortune - had been working on an electric car for three years. The admission came because Dyson needed to start discussions with governments about testing.

He has refused to give details of what the vehicle might look like, saying only that the design will be “radical”, feature basic self-driving technology and be aimed at upmarket buyers.