Top speed was only about 20 mph (32 km/h), but this was considered adequate for driving within city or town limits at the time.

As improved internal combustion engine automobiles became more common and inexpensive, sales of the Electric dropped in the 1920s.

[2][3] The business continued to operate for some years, building cars in response to orders by word of mouth.

[1] Notable people who owned Detroit Electrics cars included Thomas Edison, Lizzie Borden, Charles Proteus Steinmetz, Mamie Eisenhower, and John D. Rockefeller Jr. who had a pair of Model 46 roadsters.

A restored and operational Detroit Electric, owned by Union College, is located in the Edison Tech Center in Schenectady, NY.

Another restored and operational 1914 with the Edison battery option (Nickel-Iron vs. Lead Acid) is located at the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada.

The Disney cartoon character Grandma Duck drives a red car with license plate number "1902" that appears similar to a Detroit Electric.