Malaysian government-owned car maker Proton has signed a joint technology sharing and manufacturing deal with one of the US’s oldest names in EV technology, Detroit Electric, to go to market with a range of all-electric cars by the end of 2009.
The deal gives Detroit Electric suitable body shells in which to put its patented Magnetic Flux motor technology and Motor Controller Program, along with access to state-of-the-art production facilities via Proton's Tanjung Malim manufacturing plant.
For Proton, it means a fast track into the EV market with an affordable, well tested electric power technology.
The range will roll out in two basic forms: a short(ish)-range version for day-to-day urban commuting and an extended range version.
Prototype testing has shown the basic city models have a range of around 180km on a single charge, with the long-range version extending to 320km and more.
The vehicles will be recognisably traceable to Proton's Persona and Gen 2 models, but with styling changes for differentiation. They will be sold under both Detroit Electric and Proton brands in different markets across the world.
Detroit Electric says that all things going according to plan, it will have sold more than 270,000 such cars into Europe, Britain, China and the US by 2013.
Current price-point projections range from US$23,000 for an entry level city range model to around US$33,000 for the upper-spec extended range model.