SC01 sports EV coming to Europe to challenge Porsche

China’s SC01 electric sports car is coming to Europe with Alpine and Porsche in its sights.

The compact, lightweight two-seater is set to arrive later this year, promising to be “the first electric sports car done properly”.

Using two electric motors, the all-wheel-drive SC01 produces 429bhp and should run from 0-62mph in just 2.9 seconds thanks to a spaceframe construction that delivers a kerbweight of just 1,365kg.

In EV terms that makes it a relative featherweight. It’s more than 100kg lighter than the Alpine A290 and more than 500kg lighter than an MG Cyberster, the only other two-door, two-seat eclectic sports car currently available.

That weight and power output put the SC01 in the firing line of the incoming Alpine A110 EV, which the French brand’s boss claims will weigh less than 1.5 tonnes and pack at least 500bhp. It’s also likely to see the limited-edition SC01 face off against the electric Porsche Boxster, after the brand’s founder named the Stuttgart brand as a core rival.

Other potential rivals for the SC01 could including the sub-1,000kg Longbow Roadster and the Caterham Project V, both of which are edging towards full production.

Powering the motors is a 60kWh battery which, under the lenient CLTC testing cycle delivers up to 311 miles of range.

The SC01 is the product of a tie-up between tuning startup Tianjin Gongjiangpai Auto Technology, car maker JMEV and tech giant/nascent car maker Xiaomi and went on sale in China last year under the JMEVV 01 name.

However, reports suggest that the European car will be built in Italy, and the company has said it will be strictly limited to 1,000 units and “will never be offered again”. There’s no official word on a launch date or pricing. In its home country, the SC01 starts at the equivalent of around £24,500, but CarNewsChina claims it is likely to cost around €61,000 (£53,500) in Europe.

More details are expected when the car is fully revealed on January 24.