The Ecotricity Nemesis: A British Electric Sports Car Born to Break Records

Quiet Breakthrough - Long before electric vehicles became a familiar sight on city streets, the idea of clean energy and high performance living in the same machine still felt like a contradiction. Sports cars were loud, fuel-hungry, and proudly inefficient, while renewable energy belonged to wind farms and policy debates. That contrast is exactly what makes the Ecotricity Nemesis such a fascinating chapter in modern automotive history—a British-built electric sports car that quietly rewrote expectations at a time when the EV revolution was only beginning to take shape.

The Nemesis was rebuilt from the ground up by Ecotricity, emerging as a fully electric machine with a character entirely its own. (Picture from: EVWorld)

The Nemesis began life as a secondhand Lotus Exige, purchased online and stripped down until almost nothing remained. From that shell, Ecotricity rebuilt the car from the ground up, transforming it into a fully electric machine with a distinct character of its own. Compact at just 3.81 meters long, the car retained the sharp, low-slung proportions of a track-focused sports car, but underneath its lightweight body sat a completely new drivetrain. 

The Ecotricity Nemesis, compact at just 3.81 meters long, retained the sharp, low-slung proportions of a track-focused sports car while hiding a completely new electric drivetrain beneath its lightweight body. (Picture from: IBTimes)

Inside, the Nemesis reflected its purpose rather than luxury trends. The cabin remained focused and minimal, echoing its Lotus roots, with functional controls and a driver-oriented layout. What made it remarkable was not lavish materials, but the technology hidden beneath the surfaces: a custom transmission, integrated battery systems, and discreet charging hardware built directly into the rear of the car. Even the charging cables were cleverly concealed, reinforcing the idea that this was a serious sports car first—and an electric experiment only in the eyes of skeptics.

The Ecotricity Nemesis featured a focused, minimal cabin that favored function over luxury, echoing its Lotus roots through a clean, driver-oriented layout. (Picture from: Evo.co.uk)

Behind the project stood Ecotricity, the UK’s leading green energy company, guided by founder Dale Vince. Rather than outsourcing development, the company assembled an elite group of British motorsport engineers with experience spanning Formula One and Le Mans. Team members had previously worked on iconic machines such as the McLaren F1, Jaguar XJR-15, Lotus Elan, and championship-winning Formula One cars. That pedigree showed in the pace of development: from concept to record-breaking reality in just 18 months, all designed and built entirely in the United Kingdom.

The Ecotricity Nemesis was powered by two 125 kW electric motors producing the equivalent of 330 bhp, drawing energy from a 36 kWh battery made up of 96 lithium polymer cells and delivering a range of 100 to 150 miles depending on driving style. (Picture from: Evo.co.uk)

The Nemesis announced itself to the world in dramatic fashion. Driven by 21-year-old racer Nick Ponting, the car set a new UK electric speed record near York, averaging 239 km/h and surpassing the previous benchmark held since 2000. Earlier runs at Elvington airfield had already hinted at its potential, but the final result placed the Nemesis firmly ahead of both electric rivals and many petrol-powered supercars of its era. With acceleration from 0 to 100 mph in 8.5 seconds and a top speed around 170 mph, it proved that electric performance was no longer theoretical. | QGmk7gmBEa8 |

What truly set the Nemesis apart was its energy source. The car ran exclusively on electricity generated by Ecotricity’s nationwide network of wind turbines, producing zero tailpipe emissions when charged with green power. Depending on driving style, it could cover between 100 and 150 miles on a charge, recharge in under two hours with a fast charger, or overnight from a standard household socket. These figures were bold for the early 2010s and closely tied to Ecotricity’s wider vision, including plans for an “electric highway” with charging stations across UK motorways.

Racing driver Nick Ponting wilth Dale Vince of Ecotricity, moments before the attempt at Elvington airfield in Yorkshire. (Picture from: Uncle-Philip.Xanga)

Today, the Ecotricity Nemesis stands as more than a speed record holder. It represents a moment when renewable energy stepped out of the background and onto the racetrack, challenging long-held assumptions about what electric cars could be. Built to spark debate rather than dominate sales charts, the Nemesis showed that wind-powered vehicles could be fast, practical, and genuinely exciting—an idea that now feels far less radical, thanks in part to this quietly groundbreaking machine. *** [EKA [11102012] | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | PIKIRAN RAKYAT 05102012 | ECOTRICITY | BBC | THE GUARDIAN | THESUN | EVO.CO.UK | IBTIMES ]

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