12 most innovative and eccentric electric cars - Detroit Electric SP.01

Detroit Electric SP.01

There are some stark parallels between the Detroit Electric SP.01 and the original Tesla Roadster. Both are based on a Lotus Elise, both are chock-full of batteries, and both are staggeringly fast. Perhaps the main difference is that while Tesla was the new kid on the block, Detroit Electric has a heritage stretching back more than 100 years.

Not that the ‘new’ company has any connection to the original, name aside. It’s based in the UK and is the brainchild of former Lotus Engineering CEO Albert Lam. Like Tesla, though, Detroit Electric has plenty of funding and a plan for more modes, including a sports car, an SUV and a saloon.

On the next page, you can discover which long-established British brand has launched an all-electric SUV race series.