Detroit Electric Inc. and Geely Automobile Group have entered into a strategic partnership to co-develop electric vehicles and related electric drive systems for the Chinese market. The companies' first EVs will go on sale under Geely's Emgrand brand starting in 2014.
The Emgrand EC7-EV will offer both medium-range (165 km per charge) and long-range (258 km per charge) options, with a top speed exceeding 200 kph. Detroit Electric's twin-speed high-torque gearbox is engineered to provide ‘exceptional levels of energy efficiency,’ the companies say. The joint development and engineering team is working on the electric motor, vehicle management system, thermo-managed battery pack and battery management system.
The vehicle will initially be sold primarily to business and public-sector fleets, and the two companies are forecasting sales of around 3,000 units in the first 12 months, growing to 30,000 in three years.
