Wuhan, China, June 19 - Detroit Electric Holdings Ltd and Donfeng Motor Company announced today that the two companies will work together to research, develop, market and sell Pure Electric Vehicles (PEVs) in China using Detroit Electric’s advanced electric drive technology.
The agreement will allow Donfeng Motors to test and validate Detroit Electric’s electric drive train technology in order to produce and market Donfeng’s PEVs. The parties are also discussing the possibility of forming a joint venture company, which would manufacture, assemble, produce and supply Detroit Electric’s technology to Donfeng and other auto manufacturers.
“This validation process is a major proof point for the technical leadership and commercial readiness of our electric motor drive technology,” said Albert Lam, Detroit Electric’s Chairman and CEO.
By Andrew Williams •
September 3, 2008
Dutch-based EV start up Detroit Electric has announced that, by the end of next year, it plans to produce a range of affordable electric cars that are much more powerful than existing models and have zero emissions.
The company is in talks with Proton, the national Malaysian car-maker to produce the cars at their facilities in South East Asia. It is also in negotiations with two other, as yet unnamed, auto manufacturers from Germany and the U.S.
Speaking at a prototype viewing at the Proton test circuit in Malaysia, Detroit Electric’s Chief Executive, Albert Lam said, “We believe in affordable electric vehicles for the public. That is our dream … to find innovative ways to counter global warming.”
The cars, a sportscar, a sedan and a subcompact car, will feature a li-ion battery with a range of 200 miles on a single 7-8 hour charge and a total life span of 125,000 miles. They will also contain electric motor technology produced in-house. According to Chief Scientist Frits van Breemen-Schneider, the motor is 4 to 12 times lighter than exisiting designs, giving it a superior power-to-weight ratio. This means that it can produce 5kw of power per kilogram, whereas the best electric car in existence can only currently produce 0.25 kw per kilogram.
