CompleteCar

Detroit Electric reveals its creation

Detroit Electric's two-seat sports car will have a fastback rear.


Detroit - a city famed for heavy automotive industry, pig iron and gas-guzzling V8s. Or, in this instance, an all-new, fully electric two-seat sports car called the SP:01.

We've actually known about this car since the 2013 Shanghai Motor Show, but as the company that will make it, Detroit Electric, is gearing up for production we're now being treated to a shot of the final exterior design of the SP:01.

The car now has a fastback rump, which replaces the prototype's flying buttresses on either side of the rear window. Detroit Electric says that the design has been optimised using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), to ensure the best aerodynamics and stability.

Detroit Electric has also added a large rear wing and under-body diffuser, made changes to the front air intake and outlet ducts on the bonnet and incorporated a protective composite casing for the battery packs, which forms part of the vehicle's structure.

The name of the company is a bit of a cheat, though, as although Detroit Electric is headquartered in the US city, the SP:01 will be built at a new production facility in the UK later this year (we're guessing somewhere near Norfolk, given the car's Elise-like looks and the involvement of former Lotus CEO Albert Lam in this project), ahead of a predicted global on-sale date in 2015.

Anything else?
If you think this lightweight, limited edition machine will be nothing more than an oddity, though, think again - Detroit Electric is claiming the SP:01 will be the world's fastest production electric sports car when it hits the market. That's because it can hit 97km/h from rest in just 3.7 seconds, before running on to 250km/h flat out. Find out more at www.detroit-electric.com.

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Published on October 29, 2014