Detroit Electric SP:01

This is the Detroit Electric SP:01, a fully electric two-seater sports car that its maker claims is “the fastest-ever production electric car.”

Based on the rolling chassis of an Elise and clad in specially designed carbon-fibre bodywork, the SP:01 can complete the 0-62mph sprint in 3.7 seconds and has a limited top speed of 155mph – the same 0-62 time as the Tesla Roadster Sport, but 30mph faster flat out.

The car was revealed in Detroit, where 999 examples of the SP:01 will be built starting from August, with prices starting from $135,000 – or around £90,000.

Each model features a mid-mounted 150kW (201bhp) electric motor, and has a 37kWh lithium-polymer battery that gives a claimed range of nearly 190 miles.

A quick charge takes 4.3 hours, while a charge from a household plug takes 10.7 hours. A power back-up unit called the 360-Powerback can detect if your house suffers a power failure, too, and can use the electricity stored in the car’s battery as a back up to your home supply.

The SP:01 weighs 1,068kg, and is unusual for an electric car in being offered with a four-speed gearbox as standard, with a five-speed manual or two-speed auto available as an option.

The front wheels are 16-inch rims and use AP brakes, while the rear rims are 17 inches and cover Brembo brakes. ABS is included, as is a regenerative braking system, but the steering isn’t power assisted. The suspension is carried over from the Elise donor car, but has been retuned to take the SP:01’s different weight and weight distribution into account.

All cars use the built-in Smartphone Application Managed Infotainment (SAMI) system that integrates music, phone and charge information into a smartphone app.

Albert Lam, the former Group CEO of the Lotus Engineering Group, heads Detroit Electric. The Detroit Electric firm dates back to 1907, when the company, founded by William C Anderson, made its first electric car.

By 1910, the firm was selling 2,000 cars a year. However, the increasing price advantage of petrol cars hit sales. The firm eventually built 13,000 cars when it was wound up in 1939.

The resurrected firm has big plans. The SP:01 is the first of three high-performance electric cars planned for launch by the firm by the end of 2014.

The cars will all be built in Detroit at a new plant that will be capable of producing 2,500 cars per year. The creation of the new factory will create around 180 jobs, too.