Detroit Electric

[gg_got_a_tesla]

There will eventually be new players in the EV market, but they will have to do at least as well as Tesla in capital efficiency plus bring some new innovations to market if they are to succeed. A "me too" Tesla clone that is more expensive and less capable is DOA.

On the flip side, I think Tesla has done the hard yards and went through the valley of death to convince naysayers about the viability of performance, premium EVs.

If anything, Tesla has probably made it easier for niche clones to survive. I like this car!! More power to them too (pun intended). And, "Detroit Electric" just has a nice ring to it!

 

[AnOutsider]

Def just seems like a "me too" Roadster, though one perhaps a little more "refined"?

The cabin of the SP:01 is packed with innovation. The jewel is our Smartphone Application Managed Infotainment system – ‘SAMI’. SP:01 is the first car to have such a management system. SAMI provides access to everything from the music player, satellite navigation and interior lighting to vehicle systems statuses such as battery level and range to recharge. SAMI even acts as a remote control via GSM – enabling users to locate the vehicle and operate the climate control system.

Looks like they learned some lessons there. Did they steal some of the OVMS people? :biggrin:

Also looks like it can be used as a home backup:

This smart home charging and power back-up unit enables the SP:01’s battery to be charged at the rate of 8kWh (240V@32A). It can also detect any power failure on the grid and provide the option to the user – via SAMI (through the GSM network) – to instruct the vehicle to restore power to the home using its store energy.

 

[TEG]

Related other thread:
Converted Lotus Elises - ECE, Detroit Electric

 

[doug]

Well so sounds like another company planning to put together mostly off the shelf parts from other suppliers. At least for the drivetrain they're using AC Propulsion.

They may be able to pull it off. EV related components are more mature now, and for the infotainment, their best bet is to use an iPad Mini or some android tablet and just write a car app.

The interesting bit is that it seems like they're using the normal Elise transmission. I guess we'll see how that works out.

 

[qwk]

Well so sounds like another company planning to put together mostly off the shelf parts from other suppliers. At least for the drivetrain they're using AC Propulsion.

They may be able to pull it off. EV related components are more mature now, and for the infotainment, their best bet is to use an iPad Mini or some android tablet and just write a car app.

The interesting bit is that it seems like they're using the normal Elise transmission. I guess we'll see how that works out.

A normal Elise transmission with an AC propulsion motor/inverter? That sounds alot like the early roadster prototypes. Are they going to have to learn the hard way about multiple speed transmissions like Tesla did? Did AC Propulsion's drivetrain change very much? I know they moved their manufacturing to China a while back, but haven't heard much since.

 

[Zzzz...]

At least for the drivetrain their using AC Propulsion.

I quite sure that was an initial business plan of Tesla -get AC Propulsion drivetrain, mate it with Lotus glider and Chinese commodity batteries. Do it for $50M. Musk had 50M and was in a mood to spend them...

But sure I hope AC Propulsion technology improved over last ten years, so now it might work out...

 

[qwk]

?.. and Chinese commodity batteries.

I'm pretty sure that no roadster used chinese batteries. The Sanyo's were made in Japan, which later ended up being bought out by Panasonic. Now I think Panasonic may have a plant in China?

 

[Zzzz...]

I'm pretty sure that no roadster used chinese batteries. The Sanyo's were made in Japan, which later ended up being bought out by Panasonic.

Yes, no Roadster used Chinese batteries. But no Roadster have used AC Propulsion drivetraine. So initial business plan had one key technology survived - Lotus glider. Rest was completely abandoned(AC Propulsion) or partly abandoned(18650 cells from China).

Now I think Panasonic may have a plant in China?

That is irrelevant. If anything - my bet would be that cells coming out of Japan. It is known that Tesla already got two cells suppliers. My bet for country of origin of second cells supplier would be South Korea - and SK is a market leader in terms of li-ion cells made. But the hard fact - Tesla got 2 battery cells suppliers as of now. And if one fail, judging from publicly released info in 10-k Tesla Motors report TM would have to limit production rate. So both are important, not just Panasonic.

 

[JRP3]

Sorry for the OT but Zzzz just thanked me for a rep I never gave relating to this thread. To the person giving reps and signing them J3, maybe you could sign them in a way that doesn't make people think they are from me? I've gotten a number of messages from people thanking me for the rep from J3, so I'm getting credit for your work, whoever you are.

 

[jerry33]

Sorry for the OT but Zzzz just thanked me for a rep I never gave relating to this thread. To the person giving reps and signing them J3, maybe you could sign them in a way that doesn't make people think they are from me? I've gotten a number of messages from people thanking me for the rep from J3, so I'm getting credit for your work, whoever you are.

Sorry about that. I tend to run out of room because of the limited number of characters allowed--and I've been using J3 for so many years (since high school) that it's an ingrained habit.

 

[JRP3]

Ah, my mystery J3 nemesis revealed! :biggrin: At least I know where to forward the thanks from now on.

 

[doug]

Detroit Electric Will Outsource Much But Will Assemble Own Battery Packs | The Truth About Cars

 

[dsm363]

Air cooled battery too. Seems like that could cause issues.

 

[qwk]

Wow, these guys are going to have a tough time selling chinese cars at those prices. That business plan is doomed. Another Coda with a bit better looking car.

 

[Doug_G]

Detroit Electric Unveils 'World's Fastest' Electric Sports Car

Design News - Captain Hybrid - Slideshow: Detroit Electric Unveils 'World's Fastest' Electric Sports Car

An electric car company with a rich history is rolling out a racy new EV that will be its first in 74 years.
Detroit Electric, which shipped its last electric car in 1939, will relaunch sales in August with an EV that accelerates from 0 to 62mph in 3.7 seconds and hits a top speed of 155mph. Company representatives say the $135,000 vehicle will be targeted at buyers who want performance first and electric technology second.

"It's not just an electric car," Alex Michaelides, a Detroit Electric spokesman, told us. "It's a sports car that happens to be electric."

Gee, sounds kinda familiar, like maybe this has been done before???

The new product, which the company is calling "the world’s fastest pure-electric production car," is clearly aimed at driving enthusiasts. Unlike most EVs, which typically use a single-speed transmission, the SP:01 drives its rear wheels through a four-speed manual transmission. Drivers don't need to use a clutch pedal to launch or stop the car -- only to change gears as the vehicle accelerates.
"It's really just there to give drivers the option that they normally don’t have with an electric vehicle," Michaelides said. The car goes up to about 30mph in first gear and 60mph in second.

The two-seat SP:01 has been compared to the Tesla Roadster, but Detroit Electric officials say their car's execution is different, and its batteries are smaller. The SP:01 employs two separate air-cooled battery packs -- one behind the passenger cabin and another above the AC synchronous electric motor in the rear. Together, the two packs offer 37kWh of energy, about one-third less than Tesla's Roadster. As such, the SP:01 recharges in approximately 4.3 hours at 240V and 32A.

Despite the battery size, the new vehicle will offer an all-electric range of about 180 miles. That's partly a result of the liberal use of carbon fiber composites for in car's body. The vehicle's curb weight is just 2,400 pounds.

Well, that's a bit different. It's not massively lighter than the Roadster, so I'm wondering if their range predictions are optimistic. Certainly will be interesting to see how that transmission works for them.

 

[JRP3]

As we know "range" ratings are flexible, but if it's a bit lighter and if it has better aerodynamics then I'm sure it can average the 206 Wh/mi under some conditions to hit the 180 mile number. The 245 mile range of the Roadster would be 216Wh/mi with the 53kWh pack.

 

[Zextraterrestrial]

Air cooled batteries, I wonder If there are no over heating issues while running really hard?

 

[JRP3]

I'm guessing a high C rate battery, something like A123, which should be fine with air cooling.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

As we know "range" ratings are flexible, but if it's a bit lighter and if it has better aerodynamics then I'm sure it can average the 206 Wh/mi under some conditions to hit the 180 mile number. The 245 mile range of the Roadster would be 216Wh/mi with the 53kWh pack.

They also have gears, which, unless they're just to make it whine louder, should help efficiency. If there's one thing that could come out of EV racing it'd bd reliable transmissions.

 

[JRP3]

Yes and no. A multi speed transmission adds more drivetrain drag than a single speed reduction, plus the extra weight. Depending on the motor efficiency curve you might not gain enough motor efficiency using a transmission to make up for the losses caused by the transmission.