[9] The SP.01 was relaunched again in 2017 following new investment from Far East Smarter Energy with $370 million for the European arm to homologate the car and prepare production in Leamington Spa.

The $500 million investment would reportedly enable the company to expand its presence across Europe and Asia, with the aim of producing several new cars in the coming years.

[17] The SP.01, like the Tesla Roadster, was to be built on a Lotus Elise aluminum chassis with carbon fiber body, and production was to be limited to 999 units.

In June 2014 Detroit Electric announced that the SP.01 would be built in Royal Leamington Spa, England, with their Netherlands facility handling the sales and marketing side of the operation.

[18] The SP.01 had a total weight of 2,354 lb (1,068 kg), a 150 kW (201 bhp) electric motor mounted behind the passenger cabin that delivers 225 N·m (166 lb-ft) of torque.

The electric motor drives the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission, and a fifth and sixth gear ratios in the gearbox are redundant and available as an option.

The electric car was to have a 37 kWh lithium-polymer battery pack capable of delivering a range of 180 mi (290 km) under the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) standard.