It was an easy dream for Detroit Electronic. Take same base as amazingly fast and great build Tesla Roadster, add bit faster electric motor and some beefed-up batteries and you have a car – full electric and fast. Add amazing recharge system, that will not only fast charge vehicle, but also return power back to your house grid – and you have innovation in works. Add smartphone controlled features, so new generation millionaires can play with the car through their smartphones and you have the buzz. So everything was there. What gone wrong?
Let’s first talk about the car for a little bit. Detroit Electronic SP:01 is quite a jewel. This 2,403-pound carbon fiber and aluminum sports car is based on Lotus Elise (same as Tesla’s Roadster) with 201 bhp electric motor under the hood (66 lb ft of torque). Driving range will be up to 180-mile or about 100 miles in “fun” driving conditions. Top speed is 155 miles per hour and 0-62 mph rating in 3.7 seconds. Price will start from $135,000 and depends on features.
What Detroit Electric point out as a outstanding feature is their ‘360 Powerback’ recharge system, that will allow for car to be charged quick, but also return power back to the house and grid. So you can finally go out for a drive as a excuse of saving or ‘collecting’ energy for your home. For sure SP:01 or “Sports Pure” sound amazing. So what when wrong? Where is our SP?
First Detroit Electronic didn’t manage to find facility for production. Yes, all is there, except factory where car will be made. Once factory contract is in place, it will take 6 to 9 months for DE to start rolling cars out of production line. And troubles may not end here, as there is no much investment or government support, as Detroit Electronic have prototype, but not Elon Musk amazing ability to make dreams come true. And Lotus shell is not anymore up to US federal safety standards, so some re-work is needed.
Many tried, many failed. Why Tesla made it? Because Musk is magnificent entrepreneur that knows how to lead company in this new technology age. And here we come, let’s add SP:01 on the list of electric sports cars that will be great to see on the road. We hope.
