Detroit Electric to supply electric car technology to Dongfeng; potential JV in works?

Dongfeng Aeolus Fengshen

Dongfeng has commissioned Detroit Electric to jointly research, develop, market and sell Electric Vehicles in China using Detroit Electric’s electric drive systems.

The Chinese company will provide the cars, and Detroit Electric will provide the propulsion, similiar to the arrangement that DE has with Proton. But the DE-Proton deal involves rebadging the Persona and GEN2 under the Detroit Electric brand, but for Dongfeng, the two companies will study and explore the market entry strategy under the Dongfeng and Detroit Electric brand.

The two companies are also discussing the possibility of forming a joint venture company to manufacture, assemble, produce and supply the electric drive technology in China to the Dongfeng Group and other vehicle manufacturers that want to buy the technology.

Dongfeng does Kia, Nissan, PSA Peugeot Citroen and Honda in China, but they have been recently focusing on developing their own brand too. They recently launched a sedan based on the old Citroen ZX chassis called the Dongfeng Aeolus Fengshen, shown above.

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Paul Tan

After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Comments

  • Calvin De La Rosa on Jun 20, 2009 at 9:36 am

    Look @ the pic above… is it bird? is it a Waja? is it an Audi?

    Nooo… it's an Electro-Dong-Man! :D

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  • PROTON made in China on Jun 20, 2009 at 9:50 am

    so PROTON want to do marketing strategy which MITSUBISHI did to PROTON in earlier time or TOYOTA did with their DAIHATSU to PERODUA??

    I wish PROTON good luck.. but PROTON please take care of the quality.. really don't want 1.3 BILLION chinese said PROTON rebadge car is bad in quality.. enough with the comments in Malaysia.

    What I know about China is that, the Chinese is the first inventor of firecrackers.. maybe we can see many PROTON rebadge cars in China with Exhaust Flame Thrower kit?? that kit is about RM400 right?

    maybe can name that PROTON rebadge car as Dongfeng shui.. LOL

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  • PROTON made in China on Jun 20, 2009 at 10:23 am

    if PROTON clever, buy this Dongfeng Motor Corporation and try to beat TOYOTA, VOLKSWAGEN, GENERAL MOTORS.. Dongfeng chinese people considered among the genius in China, it is a place where China made their most advance ballistic missiles..

    typically, the word Dongfeng is shortened to "DF", now they are currently made Dongfeng 41 (CSS-X-10) which is a long range missile that can reach 12,000-14,000 km range (I think enough to reach Kuala Lumpur or Putrajaya).. Proton said want diesel engine technology, well Dongfeng have it, they made their own diesel locomotive industry there.. at least PROTON or PERODUA can make collaboration with university in that area..

    based on statistics, Dongfeng area contribute much to China economy, since year 2003, that area alone serve double digits in economy growth.. if PROTON want to invest or collaborate with the people there, I think it is a very good investment for our Malaysian automotive and also for science and technology future.

    DONGFENG government website
    http://www.dongfeng.gov.cn/

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  • ago87 on Jun 20, 2009 at 10:33 am

    It does look great but is it save????

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  • PROTON made in china on Jun 20, 2009 at 11:57 am

    ago87 wrote..

    It does look great but is it save????

    —-

    it's really hard to guarantee that because I never heard Dongfeng involved in international racing motorsports like WRC, F1, Le Mans, Nurburgring which test the highest level of safety for the drivers.

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  • Is it safe u ask? Go look around your house and check for "Made in China". If it is not safe, your house should have gone long ago.

    Anyways. I though the deal that PROTON made with DE was something like this. Looks like i'm wrong. Haihz… what's the point of letting DE rebadge our PROTON? It will soon become like the Eurostar(Gen 2). Just as a stepping stone, and bye bye after they are on track.

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  • kimi_ on Jun 20, 2009 at 9:04 pm

    u dare to own it?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • kimi_ on Jun 20, 2009 at 9:04 pm

    rihanna

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  • confucian69 on Jun 20, 2009 at 11:11 pm

    If rebadge cars have quality problem, that is not PROTON problem, that is China vendor problem, they supply unqualified parts.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • More like i do not want to own it. Just the same if someone offers you Honda and Merc.

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  • Hugh E Webber on Jun 29, 2009 at 12:02 pm

    DF needs to move fast. Nissan just announced that it's building a factory in Tennessee to build 100,000 battery electric vehicles (EVs) a year by 2012!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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