Detroit Electric: 100 Years Old Brand Gets Recycled
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 02. 8.08
Doesn't it sometimes feel like we're going backwards? Detroit Electric was founded in 1907. It was a brand of the Anderson Electric Car Company from Detroit, back when electric cars "were advertised as reliably getting 80 miles (130 km) between battery recharging. Top speed was only about 20 miles per hour (32 km/h), but this was considered adequate for driving within city or town limits at the time."
Now, Zap, the Californian maker of electric cars (the most exciting of them being the Zap-X, sadly still just a concept), and China Youngman Automotive Group are reviving the old brand. They will use it on electric cars and buses in 2009, with a "special edition" vehicle based on the original Detroit Electric planned. Zap will also use it for its upcoming (who knows when?) Alias car. ::Edmunds
Great, so now they can try to make their imported vehicles sound like they are domestically manufactured, kind of like Chinese made tools with words like Chicago & Buffalo in their names.
Of course, with all the bad publicity that the Chinese manufactured products have garnered in the last year or so, it's not hard to see why.
I'm no worried about chinese manufacturing.
"Made in Japan" used to mean cheap and bad quality.. All countries start out like that.
I believe they are interested in manufacturing in California, not China.
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/detroit-electric-car-return-after/story.aspx?guid=%7B1459A070%2D3A5A%2D497A%2DAE9B%2D427D1FB1B9E6%7D&dist=TQP_Mod_pressN
But I find it very strange that ZAP announced a $1 Billion Smart car order (based on customer orders). And then Smart says they are not delivering ANY cars to ZAP. (ZAP owns the technology to "Americanize" the Smart car) What's up with that?
ZAPs principle products are press releases and vaporware. They do rebadge a few products from China like scooters and 3 wheeled neighborhood electric vehicles, but they have failed to deliver on any of their "big deals."
The electric Smart car, the ZAP-X, the Alias, the Obvio, their exclusive deal with PML Flightlink -- they have not followed through on a single one.
More vaporware - not good for the serious companies