SHANGHAI – Geely Automobile Group, a China-based global car manufacturer, and Detroit Electric Inc., a U.S. electric vehicle manufacturer, have entered into strategic partnership to co-develop pure electric vehicles and related electric drive systems for the Chinese market.
After an initial three years of feasibility studies and a joint development program, the two companies selected Geely’s best-selling Emgrand EC7 model in the domestic Chinese market as the base vehicle on which to develop a class-leading pure electric vehicle.
The EC7-based EV, called the EC7-EV, will be co-branded with a ‘Detroit Electric – Technology’ badge and sales are expected to commence in the first quarter of 2014. The vehicle will initially be sold primarily to business users and public-sector organizations. The two companies are forecasting sales of around 3,000 units in the first 12 months, growing to 30,000 in three years’ time.
A joint development and engineering team has been formed to work together in all areas of the EV powertrain solution, including electric motor, vehicle management system, advanced thermo-managed battery pack, battery management system and a twin-speed high-torque gearbox. The partnership also extends to the formulation of a joint venture company to manufacture the critical EV powertrain components and associated parts, situated close to Geely’s headquarters in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province. Geely also operates six car assembly and powertrain manufacturing plants across China.
The new EC7-EV model will offer both medium-range (with a driving range of 165km per charge) and long-range options (an approximate range of 258km per charge). Building on Detroit Electric’s performance DNA, the vehicle can deliver class-leading acceleration (0-100kph acceleration under 8 seconds) and a top speed exceeding 200kph, according to the two companies.
