DS boss hints 805bhp electric concept could make production
The concept has been developed with DS Formula E champions Jean-Éric Vergne and António Félix da Costa
CEO Béatrice Foucher said hyper-quick car would take the form of track-only, limited-run coupé
A production version of the 805bhp DS E-Tense Performance prototype could be on the cards, which would be sold as a track-only, limited-run car, packed with Formula E technology.
With a 0-62mph time of just 2.0sec, the electric car would be one of the fastest ever produced, but would command a “very high” price, DS’s CEO Béatrice Foucher has told Autocar.
The hyper-quick E-Tense Performance coupé, which is an update of the 402bhp DS E-Tense concept, houses a 335bhp motor at the front and a 469bhp motor at the rear, which combine to output 805bhp and 5900lb ft.
It was revealed earlier this year as part of a development project with engineers from Formula E team DS Techeetah, which the French firm has a heavy stake in.
Currently, DS – which only became its own brand following its separation from Renault in 2014 – does not sell any sport-focussed cars, concentrating solely on the premium market, with models such as the DS 4 hatchback, DS 7 SUV, and DS 9 saloon.
Speaking at the London ePrix, Foucher said: “We would never go to sporty cars, that is not the positioning of the brand, but at the end of the day when everybody saw the [DS E-Tense Performance] prototype, we said ‘ok, that would be good if we could build one, or sell this type of car’, but, the decision has not been made yet.
She added: “If we take the decision, we’ll embed the technology [that we have learned from] Formula E, so it means that, in terms of homologation, it would not be possible to homologate for the road, so it would be only for the track, and if you build a car for the track, this would be in very small volumes, and very high costs and prices.
“I don’t know if there is any good equation for that, but everybody loved the car, which is good for us, and so we’ll have to see.”
Asked if a production variant could pull ideas and technology from sportier brands within the Stellantis group, such as Alfa Romeo, Foucher said: “Obviously what [Stellantis] are designing in terms of technology, generally speaking, fits for all the premium brands, so yes in terms of powertrain, batteries, and electric models.”