Detroit Electric to launch sedan, hatchback models by end of 2014

Detroit Electric revealed its new SP:01 electric sports car (pictured) at Detroit's historic Fisher Building Wednesday – the same place where the company's headquarters are located – marking the rebirth of a marque that had been dormant since 1939. And while the first SP:01 cars won't even be built until August, the company is already looking to the future, promising two more vehicle launches before the end of 2014.

During a press briefing, Albert Lam, chairman and CEO, and Don Graundstadt, CEO of North American operations, told reporters that the new models coming to market will be a sedan and hatchback, both of which will cost far less than the $135,000 SP:01 sports car (a price that does not include the federal tax credit, by the way). Specific pricing hasn't been announced, but Lam said that the vehicles will be priced for "everyday practical usage," and that one of them could fall in the $30,000 to $35,000 range – similar to that of a Nissan Leaf.

The vehicles will be priced for "everyday practical usage," and one of them could fall in the $30,000 to $35,000 range.

Much like the Lotus-based SP:01, the new vehicles will follow the strategy that the company is currently using, where most of the car's components will be outsourced from another automaker, with final assembly of the Detroit Electric product happening in the United States. Officials declined to reveal what automaker(s) it will be working with on these new products at this time, but Autoblog has learned that an official announcement about a partnership with a global automaker will be announced at the Shanghai Motor Show later this month.

Specific details about the new sedan and hatchback have not been divulged, but Detroit Electric says the vehicles will have both short-range and long-range battery options, and they will also feature the SAMI (Smartphone Application Managed Infotainment) system and 360 Powerpack found in the SP:01.

As for how the company plans to sell and service its vehicles in the US, Detroit Electric is allegedly in talks with a large organization that has an existing dealer network as means of setting up shop. Following the launch of the SP:01, which is limited to just 999 units, the company hopes to sell as many as 10,000 vehicles around the world each year, with the goal of increasing that number to as high as 40,000. Production of the SP:01 will kick off at an undisclosed Detroit-area facility this fall.

The SP:01 features a 37-kWh, AC Propulsion-sourced lithium-polymer battery and electric motor capable of producing 201 horsepower and 166 pound-feet of torque mated to either a four-speed manual transmission or a two-speed automatic. The first SP:01 will be delivered in September, and the company plans to hand over the keys to its initial vehicle in – you guessed it – Detroit.