Detroit Electric "SP:01" revealed

The rear-wheel-drive SP:01 features a compact, mid-mounted 200bhp electric motor, a lightweight, purpose-designed battery pack and all-new carbon-fibre bodywork. Total weight is listed at just 1,070 kg, giving the SP:01 has an excellent power-to-weight ratio. Detroit Electric also claim the SP:01 offers superior performance, driving dynamics and class-leading handling.

Described as "a limited-edition, two-seat pure-electric sports car that sets new standards for performance and handling in electric vehicles.", the Lotus Exige-based SP:01 boasts an impressive 155 mph (248kph) top speed and claimed 0-62mph (0-100kmh) sprint time of 3.7 seconds.

Aimed at the Tesla Roadster in the US, which is also Lotus-based, the SP:01 will offer a four-hour charge time for its lightweight battery pack, with a range of 180 miles per charge. The SP:01 beats the Tesla Roadster on both acceleration and top speed performance figures, but the Tesla has the edge - at least for the moment - on driving distance, with a 245 mile range on full charge.

Reviving a marque that can trace its roots back to 1906, the new Detroit Electric was created in 2007 as a partnership between California-based electric car company, Zap, and China's Youngman Automotive Group. Both relocated to the Detroit area to assemble the new car in 'Motor City'.