The Lotus Exige seems to be a fond favourite for some car manufacturers to adopt and subsequently re-badge it so that they can call it their own. Following in such footsteps is Detroit Electric who has finally trumpeted their return in the form of Lotus Exige-based Electric Vehicle that they’ve dubbed the SP:01.
According to Detroit Electric, the SP:01 is the fastest production car to run purely on electricity alone, boasting of a 100kmh sprint time in just 3.7s before it reaches a Vmax of 248kmh.
Detroit Electric also goes on to say that even though they get the 1,070kg bonded aluminium chassis from Lotus, the SP:01’s carbon fibre panels belong very much to Detroit Electric – however loud the styling seems to scream Lotus.
Although the Exige-based SP:01 possesses independent suspension at all four corners, the suspension has been tuned due to the additional weight of a 37kWh battery pack that powers the an American-made electric motor; both of which sit visibly mid-mounted where an internal combustion engine used to reside.
Finally, mated to the electric motor is a 5-speed manual gearbox, which should attract the purists, while the entire light-weight crate will yield a maximum range of about 288km on a single charge.
Within the tight confines of the cabin is an integrated Smartphone Application Managed Infotainment (SAMI) system interface which will allow you to control the car’s settings, make phone call and select your entertainment options,
The Detroit Electric SP:01 also comes with ABS, ESP and an adjustable regenerative braking system – all of which will come installed as factory standard.
Detroit Electric plans to build roughly 2,500 units per annum with production to commence in August of 2013, with further plans to add two additional models to its stable before the end of 2014.
