After a heck of a lot of teaser photos and videos, the Detroit Electric SP:01 is finally ready for production. It’s been a long journey from the initial idea to final product, but we're not complaining. Truth be told, a holding from The Netherlands owns the American EV brand, which is headquartered in Detroit.
With production slated to begin in “early 2015” in England, the Detroit Electric SP:01 is not only your typical case of fusion automaking, but the brainchild of Albert Lam, former CEO of the Lotus Engineering Group and former executive director of Lotus Cars. This background also explains why this all-electric machine looks like a souped up Lotus Elise.
Looking at the somewhat spartan cabin, elements such as the steering wheel, the seats and the top of the instrument binnacle are, you’ve guessed it, a carbon copy of those of the Lotus Elise. Very original! Tesla only borrowed the electric windows controls from a Mercedes for the Model S. Other than that, the design team had penned the cabin in an original manner, something Detroit Electric did not.
Leaving this minor rant behind us, the SP:01 is able to hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 3.9 seconds thanks to its 1,175 kg (2,590 lbs) weight and 286 horsepower electric motor. These numbers apply for the Performance model. If you’re interested in the entry-level Pure variation, that boasts with only 204 horsepower and a 5.6-second sprint to 100 km/h, which is way too slow in our book.
Pre-production testing also hints at a full-charge range of only 288 kilometers (179 miles), which is bettered even by the old as a donkey yet recently updated Tesla Roadster. Talk about range anxiety... Thank the Lord somebody did not forget amenities such as an 8.4-inch media system and air con.
You can check the the Detroit Electric SP:01 Performance model's standard features in the PDF below.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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