Detroit Electric. The name may ring a bell. You see, 5 years ago (2009), Detroit Electric was in discussion with Proton, to rebadge the Gen.2 and Persona as the Detroit Electric e46 and e63, respectively. After that, news died down, and presumably so did the agreement. Anyhow, the SP:01 was shown at the Shanghai Motor Show last year as a concept car. With most issues sorted out, Detroit Electric is ready for a 2015 launch.
The Detroit Electric SP:01 rides on the Lotus Elise platform, with its original 1.8L Toyota engine removed. Replacing the Toyota engine is a mid mounted electric motor, with 279 ponies on tap. Torque is rated at 280Nm. The Detroit Electric SP:01 can sprint from zerotohundred in less than 4 seconds, with a maximum velocity of 250 km/h. Detroit Electric claims that the SP:01 can travel 290 km on a single charge, which is courtesy of the car’s 37 kWh lithium-ion battery pack.
Compared to the concept car, the almost-production-ready SP:01 sports several changes. Among the changes are the twin rear buttresses, which has been deleted for a more streamlined roofline. Other than that, the underbody diffuser gets a makeover to reduce lift. Even on the front end, it has been improved to aid in better airflow.
The Detroit Electric is expected to cost £100,500 (About RM530,000 before tax), with both left and right hand drive models planned for production.
