French luxury brand DS, a subsidiary of the Atlantis Group, has unveiled the E-Tense Performance car, an evolution of the previous concept from 2016 and as a prototype of an all-electric supercar incorporating Formula E technology.
The brand has capitalized on its success in the electric car championship to support its research and development in more sustainable mobility. By 2024, every new DS Auto design will be 100% electric.
After capturing the team and driver titles in the last two seasons of Formula E, DSE Tennis Performance took the electric powertrain for its single seats and installed it on the prototype's carbon monocoque.The twin electric motors are good for 805 hp (600 kW / 815 hp) split into 335 hp (250 kW / 340 hp) on the front axle, and 469 hp (350 kW / 476 hp) at the rear.Even more impressive is the system's maximum torque figure of 8000 Nm at the wheels, not the engine's output.
This means that the E-Tens performance is twice as powerful with sixteen times the maximum torque compared to the single-motor rear-wheel-drive E-Tens.
According to the company, the race-inspired battery, with a centrally rear-mounted carbon-aluminum housing for optimal weight distribution, has "an innovative chemistry and an immersive cell cooling system."Professional drivers and Formula E champions Jean-Eric Vergne and Antonio Felix da Costa will get behind the wheel of DSE Tennis Performance starting this month, to test its true potential.
DS Tennis E-Performance maintains the silhouette of its predecessor but gets a new face. While the new hood has different vents and a two-tone treatment that continues throughout the body.DS didn't give us photos of the interior but said it features bucket seats, a Formula E steering wheel, data-collecting equipment, a Focal Utopia audio system, and black leather trim.
The rear also remains largely the same with futuristic LED headlights, a massive diffuser, and a Formula-inspired brake light, taking advantage of black-themed graphics and an E-logo on the rear deck without the windshield.The DSE Tennis Performance concept is likely a one-off design study with the company which it describes as "a prototype intended to test different innovations for inclusion in the brand's next designs".DS currently offers electric options (EV / PHEV) from its entire lineup including e-tennis variants of the DS3 cross back, DS4, DS7 cross back, and DS9.
