Detroit Electric Car Company

Detroit Electric was an American electric-vehicle marque associated with the Anderson Electric Car Company of Detroit, Michigan. Its production began in 1907, when rechargeable battery-powered automobiles were still a significant alternative to gasoline cars, particularly for urban and short-distance driving. The company’s vehicles were known for quiet operation, relatively simple controls, enclosed bodies, and dependable range by the standards of the period. The business originated in the Anderson Carriage Company, which had manufactured carriages and buggies since 1884. The company initially built electric cars alongside its carriage activities, using rechargeable lead-acid batteries. From 1911 to 1916, customers could pay an additional US$600 for an Edison nickel-iron battery, an option associated with durability and long service life. Detroit Electric advertising emphasized practical range, commonly citing approximately 80 miles between charges. A documented road test produced a much longer result of 211.3 miles on one charge, although this was an exceptional test result rather than a general operating guarantee. The cars’ top speed was approximately 20 miles per hour, which was broadly typical for electric cars when the marque was introduced in 1907 but became increasingly modest as gasoline automobiles improved. Production reached its strongest level during the 1910s, when the company sold roughly 1,000 to 2,000 vehicles annually. High gasoline prices during the First World War helped sustain interest in electric transportation. In 1920, the automobile business adopted the name The Detroit Electric Car Company as the car-making operation separated from related carriage-body and motor/controller activities. The body business became associated with Murray Body, while the motor and controller business became associated with Elwell-Parker. The competitive environment changed substantially during the 1920s. Gasoline vehicles became more capable, less expensive, and easier to refuel, while mass production reduced their cost advantage. Detroit Electric sales declined, and after the death of Anderson the company was acquired by Alfred O. Dunk in 1927. It continued for several years as a small, order-based manufacturer, with production falling to very low levels. The last vehicle was shipped on February 23, 1939, although cars remained available from existing production or inventory until 1942. Approximately 13,000 Detroit Electric cars were built between 1907 and 1939. The marque has enduring historical importance because it represents one of the longest-running early American electric-car programs. Owners and users associated with the cars included Thomas Edison, Clara Ford, John D. Rockefeller Jr., Mamie Eisenhower, Lizzie Borden, and Charles Proteus Steinmetz. In Japan, Genzo Shimadzu Jr. imported two cars in 1917 and used them to demonstrate battery technology. One of those vehicles was later restored by GS Yuasa with a modern lithium-ion battery. Detroit Electric was revived in 2008 by Detroit Electric Holding Ltd., a Netherlands-based company led by Albert Lam, a former Group CEO of Lotus Engineering and executive director of Lotus Cars. The revival sought to develop modern all-electric vehicles, and a concept car was presented in 2013. The available reference material does not establish a sustained series-production vehicle, current ownership, or the present operating status of the revived company. The historic cars, meanwhile, remain represented in automobile museums and private collections in North America, Europe, Australia, and elsewhere.

The Detroit Electric story began with the Anderson Carriage Company, a Detroit manufacturer established in 1884 to produce carriages and buggies. As interest in electric transportation grew, the company added battery-powered automobiles to its activities. Electric-car production began in 1907 under the Detroit Electric name, using rechargeable lead-acid batteries and conventional electric motors and controllers. Early Detroit Electrics were designed for practical private transportation rather than high speed. Their advertised range was about 80 miles per charge, and their approximate top speed was 20 miles per hour. These characteristics suited urban travel and affluent users who valued quietness, ease of operation, and freedom from gasoline fumes. An Edison nickel-iron battery was offered as an optional upgrade from 1911 to 1916 for an additional US$600. One recorded test achieved 211.3 miles on a single charge, demonstrating the potential of the technology under favorable conditions. The marque reached its commercial peak in the 1910s. Annual sales were approximately 1,000 to 2,000 vehicles, and the high cost of gasoline during the First World War helped maintain demand. Detroit Electrics were produced in several body styles, including coupes, touring cars, roadsters, and broughams. The vehicles attracted prominent owners, among them Thomas Edison and Clara Ford. Clara Ford used Detroit Electrics for many years; one of her cars was a Model C coupe with a special child seat, followed later by a 1914 Model 47 brougham. Organizational changes followed the expansion and later contraction of the business. The Anderson Carriage Company name remained in use until 1911. In 1920, the automobile operation formally became The Detroit Electric Car Company as it separated from related businesses. The body-making operation became associated with Murray Body, while the motor and controller business became associated with Elwell-Parker. This separation reflected the increasingly specialized structure of the motor-vehicle industry. During the 1920s, Detroit Electric faced the same pressures that affected many electric-car manufacturers. Internal-combustion vehicles gained greater range and speed, became less expensive through large-scale production, and benefited from expanding fuel infrastructure. Electric cars retained advantages in quietness and ease of use, but those advantages were no longer sufficient to offset their limited speed and charging requirements. Sales declined, and Alfred O. Dunk acquired the company in 1927 after the death of Anderson. Under Dunk, the company continued to build cars in small numbers, mainly in response to individual orders and word-of-mouth demand. The last Detroit Electric was shipped on February 23, 1939, although vehicles remained available until 1942. Total production from 1907 through 1939 is generally given as approximately 13,000 cars. Surviving examples are preserved in institutions including The Henry Ford in Dearborn, the Forney Transportation Museum in Denver, AutoWorld in Brussels, and the National Automobile Museum in Reno. Other restored examples are held by the Edison Tech Center, the Motor Museum of Western Australia, and private collectors. The marque acquired a second life during the modern resurgence of interest in electric vehicles. In 2008, Detroit Electric Holding Ltd. of the Netherlands revived the name under Albert Lam, who had previously held senior positions at Lotus Engineering and Lotus Cars. The revived organization announced plans for modern all-electric cars and displayed a concept vehicle in 2013. The available material does not document the completion of a sustained production program, later model deliveries, or the current status of the revived company. The historic marque nevertheless remains significant as an early American example of electric-car manufacturing and as a recognizable predecessor to later electric-vehicle brands.

• 2013

  Modern concept car presented

  [1]Detroit Electricen.wikipedia.org

  The revived brand displayed a concept car as part of its modern electric-vehicle initiative.

• 2008

  Marque revival announced

  [1]Detroit Electricen.wikipedia.org

  Detroit Electric Holding Ltd. revived the marque with plans for modern all-electric vehicles.

• 1939

  Last vehicle shipped

  [1]Detroit Electricen.wikipedia.org

  The last Detroit Electric was shipped on February 23, 1939; cars were reportedly still available until 1942.

• 1927

  Alfred O. Dunk acquires the business

  [1]Detroit Electricen.wikipedia.org

  Alfred O. Dunk acquired the company after the death of Anderson, after which production continued at a much smaller scale.

• 1920

  Automobile business adopts Detroit Electric Car Company name

  [1]Detroit Electricen.wikipedia.org

  The car-making operation separated from the related body and motor/controller businesses and adopted the name The Detroit Electric Car Company.

• 1911

  Edison battery option introduced

  [1]Detroit Electricen.wikipedia.org

  An Edison nickel-iron battery became available as an optional power source through 1916.

• 1907

  Electric-car production begins

  [1]Detroit Electricen.wikipedia.org

  The Anderson business began producing battery-powered automobiles marketed under the Detroit Electric name.

• 1884

  Anderson carriage business established

  [1]Detroit Electricen.wikipedia.org

  The Anderson Carriage Company began manufacturing carriages and buggies in Detroit, providing the organizational predecessor to the later electric-car business.

Historically positioned as a quiet, practical, and dependable alternative to gasoline automobiles, with an emphasis on enclosed comfort and usable battery range. In its modern revival, the marque was positioned around premium all-electric mobility and technological continuity with the original electric-car heritage.

• Electric coupe

  Detroit Electric Model C

  The Model C was an early Detroit Electric coupe associated with the marque’s emphasis on enclosed, quiet, practical transportation. Clara Ford received a Model C with a special child seat, illustrating the car’s use as a family-oriented private automobile.

• Electric roadster

  Detroit Electric Model 46

  The Model 46 was a roadster offered within the historic Detroit Electric range. John D. Rockefeller Jr. reportedly owned a pair of Model 46 roadsters, making the model one of the marque’s better-known body-style variants.

• Electric brougham · 1914

  Detroit Electric Model 47

  The 1914 Model 47 brougham represented Detroit Electric’s enclosed luxury-oriented format. Clara Ford’s third Detroit Electric was identified as a Model 47 brougham, reflecting the model’s appeal to buyers seeking a comfortable and weather-protected car.

• Automotive battery option · 1911

  Edison nickel-iron battery option

  From 1911 to 1916, Detroit Electric customers could specify an Edison nickel-iron battery instead of the standard lead-acid arrangement. The option cost an additional US$600 and was promoted as an alternative with long service potential.

• Electric concept vehicle · 2013

  Detroit Electric 2013 concept car

  The 2013 concept car was presented by the revived Detroit Electric organization as a demonstration of its intention to return to the electric-vehicle market. The available material identifies the vehicle as a concept but does not establish a subsequent production model or commercial deliveries.

• 2008

  Revive Detroit Electric as a modern electric-vehicle marqueStrategy

  Background

  Renewed interest in electric vehicles created an opportunity to reuse the historic Detroit Electric name.

  Action taken

  Detroit Electric Holding Ltd. of the Netherlands relaunched the marque with plans to develop modern all-electric cars.

  Aftermath

  A concept car was presented in 2013, but the available reference material does not confirm a sustained production program or the current status of the revived company.

  Source

• 1920

  Separate the automobile operation from related businessesStrategy

  Background

  The Anderson enterprise combined automobile production with carriage-body manufacturing and motor/controller activities.

  Action taken

  The automobile business adopted The Detroit Electric Car Company name while the body and motor/controller operations became separately associated with Murray Body and Elwell-Parker.

  Aftermath

  The separation clarified the company’s identity as an electric-car manufacturer, but the business later faced declining sales as gasoline vehicles became more competitive.

  Source

• 1911

  Offer Edison nickel-iron battery as a paid optionOther

  Background

  Detroit Electric sought to give customers an alternative to its standard rechargeable lead-acid battery system.

  Action taken

  The company offered an Edison nickel-iron battery option for an additional US$600 from 1911 through 1916.

  Aftermath

  The option became part of the marque’s historical association with early battery experimentation, although the available material does not provide option-volume or profitability data.

  Optional battery surcharge. US$600 (1911-1916)

  Source

1. 1Detroit Electricen.wikipedia.org