Detroit Electric SP.01

Detroit Electric SP.01
Detroit Electric SP.01
Overview
Manufacturer	Detroit Electric
Powertrain
Battery	37 kWh lithium-polymer battery
Electric range	180 mi (290 km) ((NEDC)

The Detroit Electric brand was revived in 2008 by Albert Lam, former Group CEO of the Lotus Engineering Group and Executive Director of Lotus Cars of England, with a vision to produce premium-quality pure electric vehicles “that seamlessly integrate refined aesthetics, innovative technology and superior handling and performance.”

Detroit Electric was relaunched to the world on 19 March 2013, with the signing of its new U.S. office in the Fisher Building in Detroit, Michigan.

The Detroit Electric SP.01 two-seat all-electric roadster is Detroit Electric's first product and sales were originally scheduled to begin in the United States in August 2013 at a price starting at US$135,000. Production was delayed because, as of August 2013^[update], the company had not been able to secure an agreement for a manufacturing facility. The SP.01, like the Tesla Roadster, will be built on a Lotus Elise aluminum chassis with carbon fiber body, and production will be limited to 999 units. The SP.01 prototypes are being assembled in Europe. The commercial version was to have been built at a factory in Wayne County, Michigan, but Detroit Electric announced it would initially be built in the Netherlands. In June 2014 Detroit Electric announced that the SP.01 would be built in Royal Leamington Spa, England, with their Netherlands facility handling the sales and marketing side of the operation.

The SP.01 will have a total weight of 2,354 lb (1,068 kg), and it will be powered by a 150 kW (201 bhp) electric motor mounted behind the passenger cabin that delivers 225 N·m (166 lb-ft) of torque. The electric motor drives the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission, and a fifth and sixth gear ratios in the gearbox are redundant and available as an option. Top speed is 155 mph (249 km/h) and its time from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 100 kph) is 3.7 seconds, the same as the Tesla Roadster. The electric car will have a 37 kWh lithium-polymer battery pack capable of delivering a range of 180 mi (290 km) under the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) standard. A 7.7 kWh home charging unit will fully charge the car in 4.3 hours, a charging through a standard 13A power source will take 8 hours.