Detroit Electric Teases Lotus-based Sports Model Ahead Of Shanghai

Detroit Electric. Only the most hardcore of enthusiasts will know the brand, but a former Lotus Cars and Engineering executive is setting out to change that.

Focusing now on electric vehicles as it did 106 years ago, the Detroit Electric brand was officially revived in 2008 with the promise of a 2010 launch.

That deadline has come and gone, but the man behind the rebirth, Albert Lam, has confirmed this week that the brand's first new model will be unveiled in Shanghai next month.

Details on the new model are still to be revealed, but a single teaser image handed down today makes clear that Lam's Lotus expertise have been put to use with Detroit Electric. 

In this shadowy teaser image, it is clear that, like Tesla's electric Roadster, Detroit's debut model will use the Lotus Elise for its base design.

The British sports car's update headlights have carried over unchanged, as have the angular front wheel guards, glasshouse and aerodynamic wing mirrors. 

A new bonnet is in play however, and other tweaks are likely to have been elsewhere to the 'new' car's styling.

The reborn carmaker will reveal all the details of the new model in Shanghai, but for now it has confirmed that its operations will be managed - fittingly - from Detroit's iconic Flisher Building.

“We are proud to become the fourth car manufacturer born out of Detroit, and the first to manufacture a pure electric sports car from Michigan,” company CEO Don Graunstadt said. 

“We are committed to doing our part for this great revival of Detroit through innovation, entrepreneurship and determination – what we like to call ‘Detroit 2.0’.”