Detroit Electric signed two agreements yesterday actually – we already know of the one with Proton. The other was a Memorandum of Understanding with a local company – Prodis-T Sdn Bhd.
Prodis-T is said to be entrusted with leading the implementation of electric car charging infrastructure in Malaysia. Detroit Electric will provide technical expertise to support R&D activities. They aim to raise USD 50 million in capital through both private investments and financial loans over the next 2 to 5 years.
But who is Prodis-T exactly? While Prodis-T calls itself a homegrown automotive technology supplier, it is quite young looking at their SSM registration number and a quick check on the net reveals another Prodis-T Sdn Bhd which is a distributor for IBM and Lenovo products for SIs that do work for the government and GLCs. That website was dated 2008. They must have changed direction sometime this year.
Anyway, the quicker Prodis-T and Detroit Electric sort this out the faster we will be able to enjoy the electric cars that are going to be assembled here and exported!
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
Hope that this will not be another "rent seeking" company .. read AP King
i think the most concerned here is the speed of the charging process.. if it takes time like NGV..hmmm
While the first we definitely need to praise what a good move of Proton.
The second will be really "Malaysia Boleh". We really can think of whatever it is to make money…good thing also become like this…what to say.
And the 'direction' changed quite fast. AND they got a contract with DE. And for 2-5yrs later, they trying to aim to raise their capital USD 50 Mils (RM150Mils). LOL what a joke.
I would prefer to assume this might be some sorts of 'commission' to someone.
As flagship company maybe there could be some substantial return in investment. You'll have to study the possibility of the EV industry taking off and you might end up a millionaire… or file for bankruptcy. Any takers?
We are at a crossroad now, will green be the next colour of choice..
At first I think they move is promising but not anymore after looking at their asking price.
Even the latest Honda Insight costs less than USD20K and the latest Toyota Prius costs not much more. Who do you think people are likely to buy from? Established make or a rookie with no track record?
Drive train aside, Latest Insight and Prius is way better than Persona and Gen 2.
there is no reason to laugh at other person vision or hopes… mofo… it is quite possible to increase their capital to 150 mills in 5 years time… it is not a large sum of money… if EV really going to be a big hit in 4-5 years.. then i reckon they might be able to do more than that…
BTW why is when any thing new from the govt or GLC's; be it new projects or new developement, malaysian always thinks that.. 'somebody must be getting something from it…', ' some one gonna benefit from it….' or anything that hinting towards kronisme etc….
sad…. pls.. be open minded… try to see things in a positive way… if u always see negative things.. you yourself will turn into a negative way….
MyBoy…actually Detroit Electric is quite an established names in EV tech…. they have been producing EV since 1910 if i'm not mistaken… and they have quite an impressive track record i think… check their history…
BTW about the drive train… i believe it'll be a different drive train… when u change the car to fully electric ones… the cars will be driven by electric motors… instead of engine blocks…. thus the drive train will be different than the manual/automatic ones that u can found on Gen2 or Persona…
i agree that Honda Insight / T Prius drive train might be better that gen2/persona current drive train.. but not sure about when it is the fully electric car…
and BTW… i believe H Insight / T Prius is a hybrid cars instead of a fully electric cars…
agreed with LogicallyMad. No reason to laugh at others. Its their own business, they who are going to work for it, make profit or risk themselves down the drain. If they make it, they the one who laugh their way to bank.
Better make myself busy to make more money rather than laugh at other for they way they make money.
[quote comment="225721"]At first I think they move is promising but not anymore after looking at their asking price.
Even the latest Honda Insight costs less than USD20K and the latest Toyota Prius costs not much more. Who do you think people are likely to buy from? Established make or a rookie with no track record?
Drive train aside, Latest Insight and Prius is way better than Persona and Gen 2.[/quote]
you're just soooo japanese.
imho… better tried than nothing!
logicallymad…. i agree with u….
Nissan fully EV 2011
Tesla mass produce 2010 is it? not sure .. u go check.. i now time..
Peugeot Citroen SPA guess heading same way with Mitsubishi as partner
Whoever start first.. going to capture the most market…
if DE manage to open booking by mid this year.. should be one of the earliest to deliver mass produce EV into the market…
Insight was sold in US subsidized thus its market price quite low… with current economic situation.. not sure until when this can keep up.
drivetrain? get ur fact about EV and hybrid car differentiated and we'll talk..
but now I'm realllyyy proud that Proton been given chances to pioneer in EV… syabas!
whoever Prodis-T is… i juz hope u done a very good job in supplying charger for EV… and please a thousand time please.. do not be another Rangkaian Segar Sdn Bhd with its TnG system in which making money and monopolized services without even trying to improve their system!!! i had it with RSSB… money money money…not trying to make people life simpler at all!!!
[quote comment="225727"]MyBoy…actually Detroit Electric is quite an established names in EV tech…. they have been producing EV since 1910 if i'm not mistaken… and they have quite an impressive track record i think… check their history…
BTW about the drive train… i believe it'll be a different drive train… when u change the car to fully electric ones… the cars will be driven by electric motors… instead of engine blocks…. thus the drive train will be different than the manual/automatic ones that u can found on Gen2 or Persona…
i agree that Honda Insight / T Prius drive train might be better that gen2/persona current drive train.. but not sure about when it is the fully electric car…[/quote]
This company been revived in 2007 after a VERY, VERY long hiatus. And this company is essential a new company, apart from the name of course. :D
So please don't try to mislead people.
As for so-called my comment on the drive train, I suggest you read back my word "ASIDE".
Anyway, I wish all the best to DE and Proton.
[quote comment="225730"][quote comment="225721"]At first I think they move is promising but not anymore after looking at their asking price.
Even the latest Honda Insight costs less than USD20K and the latest Toyota Prius costs not much more. Who do you think people are likely to buy from? Established make or a rookie with no track record?
Drive train aside, Latest Insight and Prius is way better than Persona and Gen 2.[/quote]
you're just soooo japanese.
imho… better tried than nothing![/quote]
Haven't you see its price tag?
Paul just opened the floodgates to all the Tom's Dick is Harry to bash the govenrment…
let's see if this article will hit the same number of comments posted for the Exora…
myboy..u r comparing an all EV to a hybrid.it doesnt make sense.
I believe it's a revived brand – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit_Electric
it might have been just revived.. but the technology that it once have is not entirely dead… they're one of the earliest in producing EV… and they do have quite good reputation… and for that i won't say that they're a new comer in this tech….
other than that.. i'm sorry for mis understood your statement about the drive train… my mistake…
LogicallyMad, the new Detroit Electric got nothing to do with the old Detroit Electric. No, not even in terms of technology part except both are for electric cars. the new Detroit Electric is a new company that was formed as a joint venture between ZAP and Youngman Group of China. Then they decided to use the Detroit Electric name, and now somehow the Youngman group decided to pull out of the venture.
anyway while i'm all for electric cars, i have some doubt about Detroit Electric. ZAP initially promised to deliver cars based on Lotus APX in 2008 but until now it has yet to be delivered. Now they have removed anything related to that car and now starting a new joint venture with proton the new company that revived the detroit electric brand. ZAP has failed again and again to commercialized their cars except maybe for ZAP zebra which is a small vehicle used maybe at club house etc.
also ZAP has not been getting good reputation from investors lately as they has not been living up to their hype. but anyway, this deal was supposed to be beneficial for proton as they would not be involved in providing any money for the joint venture but rather a contract manufacturer, so i'll keep my fingers crossed and see what's going to happen in the next few years :)
Najib, correct me if I am wrong but from what I understnad ZAP and Detroit Electric are not the same company. They were just working together with Youngman in that deal, so it was a 3-way thing.
Paul, from what I understand is that, Detroit Electric was a company initially formed as a JV between ZAP and Youngman Group with Albert Lam as their head. Albert Lam is the board member for ZAP.
http://www.zapworld.com/detroit-electric-car – news quoted from ZAP official website
later ZAP relinquished their ownership from Detroit Electric for distribution rights for Detroit Electric cars that would be produced in the future and somehow Youngman group also ceased to be a part owner of Detroit Electric but rather a supplier, just like proton.
http://www.zapworld.com/detroit-electric-partners – news also quoted from ZAP official website
so what i can conclude here is that, Detroit Electric was established as a ZAP venture. but now somehow it stands as it's own company (though I believe Albert Lam is still on ZAP board) but pretty much related to ZAP as most of the technologies that they wanted to use actually come from ZAP (i mean they only started to revive the Detroit Electric name last year, no way they can develop something that fast)
so yes, ZAP and Detroit Electric might be different companies now, but I can't be certain of their relationship and the possibilities that the board members for both companies are the same people
some interesting article about ZAP from Wired magazine, a well established tech magazine in the US.
http://www.wired.com/cars/futuretransport/magazin…
and also some article from autotrader
http://www.autotrader.com/research/article/34781/…
bear in mind that i'm not trying to bash the Detroit Electric – Proton deal or anything. it's just that I'm a bit skeptical about the whole deal based on historical events from ZAP – Detroit Electric Partnership – a new Detroit Electric etc….
[quote comment="225763"]it might have been just revived.. but the technology that it once have is not entirely dead… they're one of the earliest in producing EV… and they do have quite good reputation… and for that i won't say that they're a new comer in this tech….
other than that.. i'm sorry for mis understood your statement about the drive train… my mistake…[/quote]
Come on man. Stop arguing about the 1930s tech. Obviously DE use up to date tech and NOT the 1930s one.
[quote comment="225755"]myboy..u r comparing an all EV to a hybrid.it doesnt make sense.[/quote]
It does make sense. Think harder.
With years pass by.. hybrids will be long gone.
[quote comment="225864"]With years pass by.. hybrids will be long gone.[/quote]
By then, pretty much the same company will likely propel the world with a new technology rather than a rookie with some questionable/unproven technology.
very weird malaysian…
when there is no some kind of electric tech in proton, you condemn it…
when there is an opportunity or electric tech brought in… you condemn it also…
very weird…
[quote comment="226106"]very weird malaysian…
when there is no some kind of electric tech in proton, you condemn it…
when there is an opportunity or electric tech brought in… you condemn it also…
very weird…[/quote]
I second that.
If toyota… all are superb right?
tipical malaysian.