Fastest Electric Car: Detroit Electric smash Guinness world record (VIDEO)
SHANGHAI, China -- The Detroit SP:01, publicly revealed for the first time at the Shanghai Auto Show, tops out at 249 km/h (155 mph) and can hit 100 km/h (62 mph) from a standstill in a fleet 3.7 seconds, setting the new world record for the Fastest Electric Car,
according to the World Record Academy: www.worldrecordacademy.com/. Photo: The world's fastest electric car - which has a top speed of 155mph and manages 0-62mph in just 3.7 seconds - has been unveilled at the Shanghai Motor Show. The SP:01 is manufactured in America by a company called Detroit Electric. (enlarge photo)
The Guinness world record for the Fastest electric car is is 487.672 km/h (303.025 mi/h) over a two-way flying kilometre by Buckeye Bullet 2 designed and built by engineering students at The Ohio State University at the university's Center for Automotive Research (CAR), driven by Roger Schroer (USA) at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, USA.
Guinness World Records also recognized the world record for the Longest journey by a coffee-powered car, set by a 1988 Volkswagon Scirocco which was driven 337 km from London to Manchester (UK) powered by coffee. 'Car-puccino' can reportedly reach 60 mph and achieved 1 mile per 56 espressos.
The company attributes the car's performance to its power-to-weight ratio: A 201-bhp (150-kW) motor delivers 166 lb.ft (225 Nm) of torque to move the SP:01's trim 2,354 lb (1,068 kg).
Detroit Electric has managed to keep the weight down by paying special attention to the battery pack, and using carbon fiber for the F1-like bodywork and aluminum for the platform.
Detroit Electric claims that the battery's 37 kWh of storage is good for 190 miles on a single charge. The special home-charging kit will fully charge an empty battery in about 4 hours 20 minutes.
The company claims that basically the same battery has seen use in helicopters and submarines. The battery life is assisted by a regenerative system that recovers kinetic energy under braking.
The SP:01 comes equipped with a smartphone-controlled information and entertainment system, dubbed SAMI (short for Smartphone Application Managed Infotainment).
SAMI includes a music player, sat-nav, interior lighting and climate controls as well as a vehicle status display, keeping the driver informed of battery charge and range. These can be accessed remotely as well as from behind the dash.
Albert Lam, the chief executive of Detroit Electric, told Sky News: "I think China has the right policy, right incentive, and the right drive from the government and China really does need some solution with their air pollution.
"There will be a lot of demand for this type of vehicle as well as future vehicles we are going to launch."
Detroit Electric's is saying the SP:01 is available from 1,250,000 RMB. That translates to about US$200,000.
