Detroit Electric in new avatar to launch two-seater EV in April

March 25, 2013: After an absence of over 70 years, Detroit Electric, the electric car manufacturer, has returned to the legendary motor city, promising jobs and a range of 100 percent electric vehicles for mass market usage.

The company has established its HQ on the 18th floor of the iconic Fisher Building, located in downtown Detroit, with Don Graunstadt, CEO, North America Operations at Detroit Electric, signing a long-term lease.

The company has also identified a site to assemble the first ever pure electric sports car in Michigan, with production to start in August. The facility will have an annual capacity of 2,500 sports cars. Detroit Electric aims to create over 180 sales and manufacturing-related jobs over the next 12 months.

The first model to carry the Detroit Electric logo will be a limited-edition two-seat sports car. It will be launched in April at Detroit, ahead of a global public reveal at the Shanghai Motor Show on April 20. The new Detroit Electric sports car will spearhead a family of all-electric production cars, including two other high-performance models slated for production by end of 2014. "We are proud to become the fourth car manufacturer born out of Detroit, and the first to manufacture a pure electric sports car from Michigan," said Graunstadt.

Detroit could be regarded as the home of the electric car. Early in the last century, the electric vehicle industry was flourishing in Detroit and Detroit Electric was at its very heart. By 1912 there were numerous US electric vehicle makers, with Detroit Electric both the market leader and the most prolific, going on to make around 13,000 cars - an electric vehicle production world record for the 20th century. Notable customers included Thomas Edison, John D. Rockerfeller Jr. and Clara Ford, the wife of Henry Ford.

The brand was revived in 2008 by Albert Lam, former Group CEO of the Lotus Engineering Group and executive director of Lotus Cars of England, with a vision to produce an electric vehicle that seamlessly integrates refined aesthetics, innovative technology and superior handling and performance.