A carbon fiber (Lotus) body with 201 horsepower and 166 lb-ft of torque. Acceleration of 3.7 seconds to 62 mph. A top speed of 155 mph. A range of more than 180 miles. All in a car built in Detroit with a 30,000 mile warranty. This is the Detroit Electric SP:01.


It seems like everybody is using Lotuses to make the fastest cars in the world. Hennessey powers his version with a twin-turbocharged LS9 V8, while Detroit Electric replaces the V6 with an "innovative powertrain that creates an electromagnetic field around the rotor shaft, which then spins at varying speeds to drive the wheels." Detroit magic.


You can select from one of four gear ratios depending on the performance you need, but there's little need to change afterwards thanks to maximum torque at all times. The lightweight aluminum platform with the carbon fiber body results in a total weight of just 2,354 lb.

The electric system is quite clever too. The batteries come from the marine and aviation industry, and have a 37 kWh capacity. Together with the regenerative braking, that can last for up to 190 miles, while charging at home takes just a bit more than 4 hours. But it also comes with a patented bi-directional charge and discharge feature, meaning the SP:01 can power your home as well.

The styling? It's a Lotus.



According to the company, production starts soon in Wayne County so that the SP:01 can hit the showrooms in August at a list price of $135,000. Future plans include two other high-performance models that will enter production by the end of 2014 with the facility reaching an annual capacity of 2,500 vehicles. That will create about 180 jobs in Michigan, they say.


Let's just hope they won't Fisker it up or, worse, make big promises like Carbon Motors and then fade away. It's easy to make promises, but much harder to make product.

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