The SSC SC-01 Is A $42,000 Chinese Electric Sports Car With 429HP

The Small Sports Car (SSC) company has launched what it claims will act as China’s “national sports car” and will deliver “pure driving pleasure.”

The startup claims that the SC-01 will arrive in 2023 with some very impressive specs. According to China’s Sohu, the car will be 4,085mm long, 1,820 mm wide, and 1,162 mm tall (161x72x46 inches), which makes it roughly the same size as the Alpine A110 or the Audi TT.

More impressively still, it will apparently weigh just 1,300 kg (2,866). That’s significantly less than the most EVs, with even the Tesla Model 3 weighing in at between 1,612 to 1,831 kg (3,554-4,036 lbs). Even the Audi TT, though, weighs up to 1,540 kg (3,395 lbs), though the Alpine A110 weighs less at 1,103 kg (2,432 lbs).

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There’s a hint (or two) of both the original and the modernized Lancia Stratos from Manifattura Automobili Torino pictured below

Unlike the Alpine A110, though, the SC-01 will power all four wheels thanks to electric motors at the front and back, which will combine to make up to 429 hp (320 kW/435 PS). Thanks to that low weight and high power, it will be able to reach 62 mph (100 km/h) in a pretty fast 3.9 seconds.

A combination of low weight, small size, and high power tend not to make for an EV with a lot of range, but SSC claims that the EV will be able to travel up to 310 miles (500 km) per charge on the NEDC cycle.

In order to maximize space for batteries, the SC-01 won’t sit on a skateboard battery pack like other EVs. Instead, its weight will be distributed more like a conventional sports car, and its battery pack will be mounted in the middle of the car.

That will have the added benefit of keeping the driver close to the ground, while a spaceframe chassis and horizontal, pushrod shock absorbers will contribute to making the SC-01 feel like a conventional mid-engine sports car.

On Sale In China Next Year

In the great tradition of small sports cars, the SC-01 will have a “minimalist” interior. Components will be made in China and will be easy to buy and replace. Production is set to begin in the fourth quarter of 2023, and prices are expected to start at just ¥300,000 ($41,957 USD at current exchange rates). Unfortunately, it is not clear if SSC will offer the car outside of China at this juncture.