Detroit Electric started production on the SP:01, a Lotus-based electric sport car

Yesterday Detroit Electric announced it finally started production on the SP:01, a Lotus Exige-based electric sport car. The company released on its Facebook page a picture (see above) of the first few cars rolling off the production line in Leamington Spa, U.K.

If an electric sport car based on a Lotus rings a bell for you, it’s probably because of the Tesla Roadster which was based on the Elise and at first also assembled by Lotus in England, although Tesla ended up repatriating most of the assembly process in U.S.

The SP:01 is equipped with 37 kWh battery pack which allows, according to the company, for 179 miles (288 km) of NEDC rated range. We can expect the EPA-rated range to be closer to 140 miles (225 km).

The battery pack also acts as a home energy storage system through its built-in bi-directional charge and discharge capability.

The vehicle is available in two different version: “Pure”, which is single-speed, and “Performance”, which is manual. The Performance version can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and reach a top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h).

The car’s infotainment system is using Android Auto, which not only runs the OS in the car but also allows access to the car’s systems from your phone along with an electronic key fob.

Don’t be fooled by the company’s name, Detroit Electric has little to do with its predecessor of the same name, which pioneered electric vehicles in 1907. Although the company still has offices in Detroit, the headquarters are now located in the Netherlands, and as previously mentioned, the cars are being assembled in the U.K. The company has yet to announce the price of the vehicle or the availability in the U.S. if any.