Nemesis is Britain’s first electric supercar

Dale Vince, an environmentalist and wind-farm millionaire, has built Britain’s first electric supercar. ‘Nemesis’ can accelerate from 0-100 mph in 8.5 seconds and reach speeds up to 170 mph.

Nemesis started life as a Lotus Exige, before a specialist team fitted it with 96 lithium-ion polymer cells, two motors developing 330 bhp and a new transmission. The supercar runs for between 100-150 miles and can be charged in under two hours using its fast charger or eight to nine hours from a mains supply.

The car cost £750,000 to build, £400,000 of which came from a government grant.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “In the grand scheme of things, the emissions emitted by petrol-powered supercars are minor; a car like the forthcoming Nissan Leaf may not be as glamorous as the Nemesis, but a practical electric family car is a greater challenge.”

Electric supercars

The Tesla Roadster, a sports car with acceleration comparable to that of the Nemesis.is available to buy today for around £90,000. An electric version of the
Mercedes SLS AMG will go on sale in 2012. It will use 4 electric motors with a combined rating of 525 bhp.