Detroit Electric Unveils EV Sports Car

Detroit Electric Holdings Ltd. says its first electric vehicle the $135,000 SP:01 will be the world's fastest pure EV when it goes on sale in August.

The little two-seater will be able to scoot from zero to 62 mph in 3.7 seconds, reach a top speed of 155 mph and cover as much as 180 miles on a single charge, according to the company.

The carbon-fiber-bodied SP:01 will be assembled at an undisclosed facility in metro Detroit. The company will build only 999 units, thus skirting government performance and safety standards in the U.S. and abroad that apply to vehicles produced in higher volume.

The SP:01, which features and open top and unique bodywork, appears to be derived from the Lotus Elise sports car. Detroit Electric CEO Albert Lam is former CEO of the U.K.-based Lotus Engineering Group. The Elise was electrified previously by Tesla Motors Inc., which introduced the result in 2008 as the now-discontinued $109,000 Roadster.

Detroit Electric says the 2,400-lb SP:01 will be powered by an asynchronous AC electric motor mounted midship. The unit, which makes 201 hp and 166 lb-ft of torque, channels power to the rear wheels through a two-speed automatic or four-speed manual transmission. The car can comfortably reach 60 mph in the manual gearbox's second gear, according to the company.

The car's two-pack 37-kWh lithium polymer battery can be fully charged in as little as 4.3 hours using the company's home charging unit.

Last month the Detroit-based startup announced an annual production target of 2,500 EVs per year. The company hopes to add two more high-performance models to its lineup by the end of next year.