Detroit Electric, maker of electric sports cars based on a Lotus design, has produced its first car for shipment to China.

The company highlighted the car’s destination as part of the strategy for ‘continued expansion and investment in the Asian region’, where the company hopes to shortly announce the appointment of a distributor for Japan.

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The SP:01 pure electric vehicle was handed over to Detroit Electric’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.

 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.

“Jowett Motors’ desire to join us as we prepare for full-scale production and sales of our upcoming range of pure electric vehicles is a huge endorsement of our products and brand, and a demonstration of their confidence in the progress we are making in Asia and around the world,” he added.

Jowett Motors’ owner and management team have been importing sports car marques from Italy and Germany to China for over 23 years.  Dr Lee said at the handover: “We were honoured and excited to be selected as Detroit Electric importer for China and we are now delighted to receive the first production-specification SP:01. Our many potential customers in China have been looking forward with relish to this chance to experience the SP:01 close-up in our country.

“The new SP:01 sports car is a diamond and a collectable item in itself.  It has super car look and feel and, of course, it delivers supercar performance,” he added.

See also: UK: Detroit Electric car rolls off UK assembly line

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