The world’s lightest & fastest two-seat pure-electric sports car, the Detroit Electric SP:01 goes on sale in China.

• First production-specification Detroit Electric sports car rolls off the company’s UK assembly line
• Detroit Electric distributor for China, Jowett Motors, is presented with first vehicle
• Initial SP:01 will serve as a demonstrator vehicle for prospective customers

The first production-specification Detroit Electric sports car has rolled off the UK assembly line and has been exported to China, as the electric vehicle company’s expansion in Asia continues.

The first 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.

This handover of the first SP:01 marks another major step forward in Detroit Electric’s continued 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.

“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 renowned 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.

The Detroit Electric SP:01, the world’s lightest and fastest two-seat pure-electric sports car, goes on sale in Asia and Europe over the coming months. It promises blistering acceleration, reaching 60mph from standstill in just 3.7 seconds (0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds) and a sprint to an impressive 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.

SKODA produces the first production Superb Kombi at Kvasiny in the Czech Republic.

• Ready to take off: the new Superb Combi leaves the production line at the plant in Kvasiny
• A reference: spacious interior with cutting edge technology and dynamic design
• Growth: the Skoda plant in Kvasiny has been modernized and expanded
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ŠKODA has produced this week the first ŠKODA Superb Combi at its plant in Kvasiny, Czech Republic. The first model is a Superb Combi 2.0 TDI in white moon, a client of the local market will be delivered.











In its segment, the new Skoda Superb Combi sets benchmarks in space, comfort, security, connectivity and ecology, and inspires its customers with full of excitement and dynamically elegant designs. The market launch is scheduled for September.


"The new Skoda Superb Combi mark new standards in its segment," says Michael Oeljeklaus, Head of Production and Logistics Board of ŠKODA. 


"Just fifteen weeks after the start of production of the new Superb sedan, we are proud to announce another successful start. The whole team did a great job, and now the Superb Combi out of production lines as planned."


To accommodate production of the new ŠKODA Superb and Superb Combi, Skoda has made significant investments in plant Kvasiny, particularly in new production technologies and in the areas of assembly and logistics.


The new Skoda Superb Combi looks the largest interior space in its segment. The total volume of the trunk is nearly 2,000 litres, a size which until now could only be found in higher segments. The use of modern technology Volkswagen Group MQB also enables a new level of comfort and safety. 


The new Skoda Superb Combi also offers maximum connectivity and ecological character. In line with the new design language of ŠKODA, the latest model of the brand provides a captivating interplay of functionality, technology and emotion.


Kvasiny is one of the three plants of ŠKODA in the Czech Republic, and employs nearly 4,500 people. In addition to producing the new Superb Combi, Superb saloon also has been coming out of its assembly lines since mid-March. Along with these models, the seat of Kvasiny also manufactures the ŠKODA Yeti. 


Over the next years, the plant and facilities around it will modernize and expand further. 


In  2018, the company expects to have created 1,300 additional jobs in  Kvasiny. The production capacity will increase to 280,000 vehicles per year. To do this, the company will invest about CZK 7,200 million over the next three years .


Translated by Google - apologies for any errors caused.

Lexus celebrates the first NX of the line in Japan.

The arrival of the first NX with UK customers is a little closer following the official start of production ceremony at Lexus’s Miyata plant in Japan today.

Lexus has already taken 6,500 orders for NX in Japan, with many more globally. Over 350 UK customers have submitted their orders for NX 300h, and deliveries commence in October.

While the Miyata plant has responsibility for finished vehicle manufacturing, the neighbouring Kanda engine production plant has had a new lease of life thanks to the start of NX production.

Following the decline in the global car market after 2008, production was reduced at Kanda with the shutdown of one of its two production lines. Today the second line returned to life and will supply the new 2.0-litre petrol turbo unit for the NX 200t variant. Lexus expects this engine to be popular in the US and Chinese markets.