But these days things aren't so simple. Modern day Detroit Electric will produce its two-seat electric sports car, the SP:01, in Holland. That's not Holland, Michigan either, but Holland, The Netherlands--thousands of miles away in Europe. According to The Detroit News, Detroit Electric blames the production shift on "supply chain logistics", but delays in its efforts to secure a suitable plant in the U.S. may also be to blame.
Detroit Electric originally hinted at Dutch production last summer, following delays caused by plans to build a facility in Plymouth--capable of producing 2,500 vehicles a year, and supporting 100 jobs. The company's management will remain in the U.S, and indeed in Detroit, and should the 999-car production run go to plan at its European base, the company is keen to produce its second model, an electric sedan, back in the city that bears its name.
If the SP:01's styling looks familiar to you, it isn't just your mind playing tricks. Like Tesla's Roadster model, the SP:01 is loosely based on Lotus architecture, using a platform you'd usually find underneath the light-weight Elise sports car. To that Detroit Electric straps a 200-horsepower electric motor and 37 kWh of lithium-ion batteries, good for a 3.7-second 0-60 sprint and 190-mile range.
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