Step right in ladies and gentlemen, and gaze at the marvels of modern technology! Allow us to show you the most amazing car of the century: The magnificent Detroit Electric, the car of summer luxury! This 100 year-old antique electric car will be available in early 2009 from ZAP and China Youngman Automotive Group, proving once and for all that there is no such thing as a new idea. The Detroit Electric is considered to be the most popular electric car in history — and was produced by the Anderson Electric Car Company in 1907 (production ran from 1907 to 1939). This cute little EV could go fo 130 miles on one charge, and had a top speed of about 32km/h. Famous Detroit Electric owners included Thomas Edison, Charles Proteus Steinmetz and John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
So why is this relevant? Well, Zap, who is creating the Zap Alias, in partnership with the China Youngman Automotive Group, decided to resurrect the Detroit Electric as a promotional vehicle and are planning to produce a small number to market. The joint venture is also set to release an array of cars, buses and trucks under the Detroit Electric brand — all electrically powered, of course.
So, if the coming spring is making you feel the urge for fresh country air…. you might be interested in the Detroit Electric, which brings all these spring-time delights within easy reach. And could we please get marketing copy just like that for all new cars please?
Don’t get too excited about ZAP and Detroit Electric until you’ve read the April issue of Wired
http://www.wired.com/cars/futuretransport/magazine/16-04/ff_zapped
http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/03/the-zap-x-and-a.html
Most likely this car will never be sold — ever!