The first production-specification Detroit Electric sports car has rolled off the UK assembly line and has been exported to China.

The first Detroit Electric SP:01 pure electric vehicle was handed over to company’s new importer for China, Jowett Motors (Asia) Ltd, in a ceremony at the company’s main assembly plant in Leamington Spa, UK.

The white SP:01 was presented to Dr Richard Lee, Chairman of Jowett Motors, by Detroit Electric Head of Engineering, Ben Boycott. It will be used as a demonstrator vehicle to fulfil a stream of enquiries from prospective customers that followed the appointment of Jowett Motors last April and the appearance of the SP:01 at Auto Shanghai 2015.

This handover of the first SP:01 marks major step forward in Detroit Electric’s expansion and investment in the Asian region, where the company hopes soon to announce the appointment of a distributor for Japan.

Commenting on the latest developments in Asia, Albert Lam, Chairman and CEO of Detroit Electric, said: “We are extremely proud to team up with Jowett Motors, a company that has an exceptional track record in the establishment and selling of exclusive, high performance sports cars in the Chinese market.“

The Detroit Electric SP:01 promises accelerates to 60 mph (100 km/h) from standstill in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 155mph (249km/h).

Featuring a 285HP / 210kW electric motor and carbon fibre body panels, the car is fitted with a single speed automatic transmission as standard, with the option of both twin-speed automatic and six-speed manual transmissions. The SP:01 is supplied with both hard and soft tops as standard. The battery in the SP:01 has been integrated into the chassis as a stressed member, adding stiffness to enhance handling and safety. The military grade, lightweight high density lithium battery is the most energy-dense automotive battery pack in the world, offering over 140Wh/kg, benefitting range while keeping overall vehicle weight low.