'Driving Future' with DS Automobiles’ new E-Tense Performance
The French luxury vehicle brand DS Automobiles just launched its newest electric prototype, which they called a “high-performance laboratory”. This launch further accelerates the company’s forward-thinking approach to technological development and design, using an unprecedented regeneration capacity of 600kW that prioritises best energy use.
According to Director of the DS Performance division Thomas Chevaucher, the prototype draws on expertise from the company’s motorsport division:
“Our objective is to apply the experience acquired in Formula E and the expertise that we’ve taken from our international titles to a project which predicts the high-performance electric car of tomorrow. It is a laboratory that we will use to analyse the behaviour of components and to develop them with a view to future manufacturing. The idea is also to find solutions to lower costs, make them easier to manufacture and explore implementations in production models. The next generations of the E- TENSE range will benefit from these developments.”
After its initial success in the 100 per cent electric Formula E championship in 2014 , DS Automobiles has honed in on its research and development of sustainable mobility, leading the brand to become the lowest CO2-emitting brand in Europe.
What sets this prototype apart and upholds DS Automobiles’ place as a future-facing manufacturer is its battery. Inspired by car racing and developed in partnership with TotalEnergies, it uses innovative chemistry and an immersive cooling system, at odds with current technology, laying the groundwork for future generations of production.
The DS Performance team will be organising the first tests for the final developments of the prototype starting in February 2022, with Formula E champions Jean-Éric Vergne and Antonio Felix da Costa at the wheel. On-track and open road testing will follow, after which the performance data from the DS E-Tense Performance will be released.
As for design, the DS E-Tense Performance prototype sets the stage for the brand’s future language, giving DS Design Studio Paris an opportunity for innovation and creative expression. The front of the model, instead of the traditional grille, presents the DS logo in 3D, creating a slick welcome feel. The daytime lights are remarkably thin yet made up of 800 LEDs, producing a wide span of light while adding to the slick look. These features are combined with the aerodynamic design of the 21-inch wheels and body, with its beetle-effect colour that changes depending on exterior conditions and perspective. The cockpit is primarily designed for data collection, and features bucket seats and a Formula E steering wheel, connoting high performance. The prototype’s visual identity is rounded off by the two cameras placed in the place of headlamps, also allowing for data collection.
Pictures: DS Automobiles