Weighing in at just 1,356 kg and packing a 320 kW (~430 hp) electric motor, the Xiaomi-backed JMEV SC01 ditches the extras and keeps the essentials – so if you’re the kind of person that dreams of a self-driving future that lets you pay more attention to your Twitter X feed than the road ahead, this one’s not for you.
But if it is for you, I have fantastic news: this electric roadster is being sold in Europe (and it won’t stop there).
It’s rare for a new Chinese car launch to talk more about driving dynamics than infotainment and ADAS these days, but the new SC01 from Xiaomi-backed JMEV is different. Its marketing materials focus on the sporty EV’s tubular spaceframe chassis design that’s wrapped around a compact, 60 kWh (good for 500 km, or 310 miles of CLTC range), pushrod suspension system, and ultra light weight aluminum and magnesium wheels that weigh in at 5.9 kg (~13 lbs.) each.
The result is a car that, at 1,356 kg, weighs in at about 40 kg less than an ICE-powered Porsche Cayman GTS. That mass advantage means the Porsche probably won’t be able to whip past the JMEV in the corners – and with its instant-on electric torque, the Cayman won’t stand a chance against the SC01 in a straight line, either.
Keep it simple
Inside the (allegedly) Lancia Stratos-inspired SC01’s cockpit, the car ditches excess technology in favor a of minimalistic, driver-focused display that relays critical vehicle information, simple, physical climate controls, and a traditional handbrake lever.
The SC01 looks and, allegedly, feels like a car from a different era – and that’s exactly what SC01 Europe, the company formed to sell the car in the West, thinks will appeal to buyers.
“(We want) to prove that electric cars can still be raw, mechanical in feeling,” reads the official copy, and up to 1,000 European buyers will soon have the chance to see for themselves if the car can live up to its hype.
CarNewsChina reports that 1,000 examples of the SC01 will be built in Italy, and will retail for about €60,000 (approx. 70,000 USD, as I type this), with the UK’s Autocar reporting that, while a launch date hasn’t been settled upon, SC01 Europe have published a website inviting potential buyers to join a “priority list” for allocation. And if it sells out, don’t be surprised to see the SC01 come to North America, via Canada. #bet
You can check out SC01 Europe’s website here, and let us know what you think of this lightweight analog electric sports car in the comments.
JMEV SC01 gallery
SOURCE | IMAGES: SC01, via Autocar, CarNewsChina.
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