Sexy electric supercar makes debut at Pebble Beach

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — A new electric supercar made its debut here Sunday to try to lure a few of the well-heeled away from traditional high-octane machines.

It's called the Renovo Coupe, a sexy rear-wheel-drive supercar powered by batteries that is billed as being able to leap from zero to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds.

When it goes on sale next year, it will also come at a supercar price: $529,000, about five times the price tag of the original Tesla Roadster. But the maker, Renovo Motors, says the plug-in will offer unparalleled quickness and quick charging.

Chief Technical Officer Jason Stinson said the car was developed by "performance junkies" like himself.

The company says the car's acceleration is faster than any other American production electric car on the market. Powered by lithium-ion batteries, the Renovo has two electric motors that produce the equivalent of 500 horsepower with rear-wheel drive. Yet the company managed to hold the car's weight to 3,250 pounds. It helps, too, that the car can get full throttle response in 37 milliseconds. Top speed is 129 miles per hour.

In order to get that quickness and lightness, however, the car sacrifices range. It goes about 100 miles per charge. CEO Christopher Heiser says the company was careful to survey potential customers and performance was their top concern.

It is built off a modified chassis from Shelby American, the company founded by the late racing and speed enthusiast Carroll Shelby. Shelby's name is engraved in the door handles.