The joint-venture between America’s ZAP electric car company and China’s Youngman Auto is set to revive the 100- year-old electric car brand Detroit Electric for a range of new models set to appear from next year onwards. The first car to be sold under the Detroit Electric label will be the ZAP Alias, a $30,000 electric three-wheeler that can do 0-60mph in 5.7 seconds and drive 150 miles on a single charge. Detroit Electric will follow up the Alias with two family sedans and a number of buses.

Detroit Electric was an early 20th Century electric car built by the Anderson Electric Car Company over 100 years ago. In its heyday, Detroit Electric was an American icon and the cars were very popular with customers like Thomas Edison, Charles Proteus Steinmetz and Henry Ford's Wife Clara. The newly revived company also plans to build a special edition electric vehicle based on the original Detroit Electric car as a tribute for the new name of the joint venture.

The first cars will be manufactured by Youngman in China and marketed and distributed by Zap in the U.S. ZAP is also organizing international distribution for its current and future vehicles, which means the rest of the world will soon be able to enjoy all-electric motoring as well.