Photo: Detroit Electric
It's been two years since the Tesla Roadster's demise, but fret not anymore because there's a new kid on the block ready to fill that empty niche. Dubbed the Detroit Electric SP:01, what you can see above is an American electric sportscar… made in England.
Yup, you heard that right. Slated to go on sale in the United States, Europe and Asia in early 2015, these SP:01 two-seater electric sports cars will be built at a production facility in Leamington Spa, UK, despite the fact Detroit Electric has its HQ in Detroit Motor City. So what's there to like about the SP:01?
For starters, this emissions-free contraption weighs a mere 2,480 pounds (1,125 kgs), but it's powered by a mid-mounted electric motor which delivers up to 281 horsepower to the rear axle. That weight and that oomph translates in blistering 3.7-second 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) run. But performance alone isn't enough without the all-important all-electric range.
Fortunately, this car boasts with 178 miles (288 km) of range thanks to a 37 kWh capacity battery pack, so yes, you can take it for a spin without worrying too much about running out of zap. Teased a couple of times up to the present moment, Detroit Electric has now offered the first proper teaser photo of the SP:01, one that depicts the vehicle's rear styling.
Jerry Chung, who's the head of design at Detroit Electric, said that the SP:01's final design language "incorporates signature Detroit Electric design DNA, carried over from the prototype model we revealed last year. Coupled with many motorsport visual cues, the new fastback design, bold face and sharp contours evoke the company’s vision of pure electric performance.”
We're not sure about the latter two because we don't know how the front and sides look like IRL, but hey, we're keeping our fingers crossed these guys will unveil the rest of the vehicle as soon as possible.
For starters, this emissions-free contraption weighs a mere 2,480 pounds (1,125 kgs), but it's powered by a mid-mounted electric motor which delivers up to 281 horsepower to the rear axle. That weight and that oomph translates in blistering 3.7-second 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) run. But performance alone isn't enough without the all-important all-electric range.
Fortunately, this car boasts with 178 miles (288 km) of range thanks to a 37 kWh capacity battery pack, so yes, you can take it for a spin without worrying too much about running out of zap. Teased a couple of times up to the present moment, Detroit Electric has now offered the first proper teaser photo of the SP:01, one that depicts the vehicle's rear styling.
An electric sedan from Detroit Electric will follow in early 2016
As such, it's easy to tell the car adopts a fastback configuration, thus replacing the prototype's flying buttresses on either side of the rear window. Even though some aesthetic elements appear as being heavily inspired by models such as the Lotus Elise, Noble M600 and other established nameplates such as the Ferrari 458 Italia and McLaren MP4-12C, the end result isn't half bad from our point of view.Jerry Chung, who's the head of design at Detroit Electric, said that the SP:01's final design language "incorporates signature Detroit Electric design DNA, carried over from the prototype model we revealed last year. Coupled with many motorsport visual cues, the new fastback design, bold face and sharp contours evoke the company’s vision of pure electric performance.”
We're not sure about the latter two because we don't know how the front and sides look like IRL, but hey, we're keeping our fingers crossed these guys will unveil the rest of the vehicle as soon as possible.
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