Detroit Electric SP:01 – The Fastest Production Electric Vehicle

Detroit Electric has roots going back to the 1900s, and has just awoken from a long 80-year nap to reveal the fastest production electric vehicle, the Detroit Electric SP:01.

Given the finicky market for electric vehicles, it seems that Detroit Electric did well in taking a long nap. A few other companies have tried to get into the market and haven’t fared well at all. Detroit Electric has probably seen how starting with high-production low-profit cars didn’t work out so well for Better Place and CODA.

Instead, they are following the Tesla Motors model, offering a high-end low-production high-profit model to get things started. In the future, when the company is established and electric vehicles are adopted more often, it’ll be easier and more profitable to roll out a mass-produced electric vehicle for the rest of us.

The new vehicle, the Detroit Electric SP:01, will be released in limited quantity, just 999 in all, starting at $135,000. The Lotus Elise [sound familiar?] will be modified with a Detroit Electric powertrain with a range of 190mi. The 201hp electric motor will power it from 0-60mph in just 3.7s, the same as the Tesla Roadster Sport 2.5 [not the Lotus Elise version].

Where the Detroit Electric SP:01 outdoes its closest competitor is in top speed. The Roadster has a top speed of 125mph, while the SP:01 will be limited to 155mph, making it the world’s fastest production electric vehicle. Detroit Electric’s battery and motor combination is probably a little behind the times, since its range is estimated 55mi shorter than the Tesla Motors combination.