DS Automobiles, a Stellantis-owned French car marque primarily known thanks to its resounding Formula E victories, has unveiled the E-Tense Performance, a prototype EV based on the same tech as those electric racers.
The vehicle is an evolutionary step forward from the 2016 DS E-Tense and should be regarded as a tech demo for the marque’s future production cars. It features a carbon fiber chassis with a monocoque body and a Formula E drivetrain. Dual motors drive it with 816 PS (805 hp / 600 kW).
TotalEnergies and its subsidiary, Saft, have jointly developed the traction battery. The companies have also designed the powertrain cooling system.
According to Thomas Chevaucher, one of the marque’s executives, the idea is to find ways to reduce production costs and research the applicability of FE solutions in mass-market cars. Future E-Tense generations will benefit from the current research findings.