Detroit Electric SP:01 makes Shanghai debut

Detroit Electric has introduced the Lotus Elise/Exige-based SP:01 this weekend at 2013 Auto Shanghai.

The SP:01 comes with a mid-mounted electric motor producing 201 bhp (150 kW) and 225 Nm (166 lb-ft) of torque, significantly down on the 288 hp (215 kW) and 400 Nm (295·lb·ft) found in a Tesla Roadster 2.5 Sport. It has a carbon fibre body and a 37 kWh battery pack which enables the 1,067 kg (2,354 lbs) EV to have a range of up to 306 km (190 miles). Charging the battery takes a little over four hours.

While every battery powered EV currently in production runs a single speed reduction gearbox, the SP:01 will use a 6-speed manual gearbox from the Lotus Elise but with the final two gears deactivated. Customers can also order the car with a 2-speed automatic transmission which was "specially developed for electric and hybrid vehicles."

Detroit Electric claim the SP:01 is capable of performing the 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) sprint in 3.7 seconds and can hit a top speed of 155 mph (249 km/h). The vehicle sits on 175/55 R16 front and 225/45 R17 rear tires, while the stopping power is provided by AP front / Brembo rear discs. It also has a system called 360 Powerback which can power the owner's home if necessary by using the stored electric energy in the batteries.

Production will commence this August at a new facility in Detroit and the car will carry a starting price of 135,000 USD. All units will benefit from a 3-year, 30,000-mile warranty which can be optionally increased to 5 years and 50,000 miles.

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