Proton and Detroit Electric to make electric car

Beginning in 2010 Proton will commercialise its vehicles in the United Kingdom. The Malaysian firm announced an agreement with Detroit Electric to launch the models Gen2 and Persona in Europe, China and the United States beginning in 2010. Albert Lam, Detroit Electric’s CEO, said that the electric cars produced by Proton would be commercialized by the United States brand. By February of next year they will be on the Asian and European markets, arriving in the United States some months later. The goal is a massive production of cars, producing some 40,000 units in 2010 and approximately 270,000 in 2012. The intention is to begin selling these non-contaminating vehicles in countries with tax incentives concerning this type of car, for example, in Spain, Denmark, Holland, France and United Kingdom, while in China, the firm could collaborate with a local manufacturer to sell these cars. As far as technical specifications go, the electrical vehicles, which can be connected to the electrical web developed by both corporations, will carry lithium-ion batteries and will not have a combustion motor to increase their independence. The “Persona” model will be called Detroit Electric e63 (a berlina of 4,477 mm) and the model “Gen2,” the smaller of the two, will be called Detroit Electric e46. The prices of one of the vehicles will oscillate between 23,000 and 25,000 $USD (between 17,300 and 18,800 euros) and can cover 180 km without refueling. The second of the vehicles produces by both firms will have an autonomy of 320 km and will cost between 29,000 and 33,000 $USD (between 21,800 and 24,810 euros). Each model’s price has not yet been specified.