DS E-TENSE FE 19 BY DS AUTOMOBILES, THE SOLE SHOWCASE OF FRENCH KNOWHOW IN FORMULA E

The efficient technology developed by DS Automobiles' competition arm DS Performance has already harvested four victories and 10 podium finishes on four continents over a period spanning less than three years.

At the same time, the know-how accrued in racing is accelerating the development of DS Automobiles' range of electrified cars and all the brand's models will feature plug-in hybrid or all-electric variants in the future.

Visitors to DS World in Paris, France (33 rue François 1er) will be treated to an avant-premiere viewing of DS E-TENSE FE 19 finished in an exclusive matt black and gold livery when it goes on display on 7 March 2019.

The avant-garde brand DS Automobiles first rose to the FIA Formula E challenge in Season 2 when new technical regulations provided constructors with an opportunity to demonstrate their particular expertise.

At the end of 2018, Season 5 of the series will mark the beginning of a fresh era for Formula E as a second generation of cars takes centre stage. In addition to combining an extensively revised chassis and a new aerodynamic package designed to generate extra aero-downforce and less drag, with no rear wing, the new single-seaters will be equipped with a new battery, new tyres and 'halo' cockpit head protection.

Meanwhile, DS Performance has used its three years of experience in Formula E to entirely rethink its drive train. Its new motor - the DS E-MOTOR 19 - incorporates an optimised energy recovery system and the brand has capitalised on its knowhow to conceive a new transmission system, a new rear suspension arrangement, a new cooling system, a new fully active braking system and new electronics engineered to optimise energy management.

Since the creation of DS Automobiles in 2014, DS Performance has used the excellence that drives its successful Formula E programme to help shape its vision for automobile mobility in the future. The technology developed by the men and women working out of its Versailles headquarters has proved to be both efficient and competitive, as testified by the team's winning record in the all-electric championship. In recent months, the brand has used the lessons learned while racing in this high-tech laboratory to fine tune the development of DS 7 CROSSBACK E-TENSE 4x4 and also its other upcoming electrified models.

"Formula E is set to undergo a revolution next season," says DS Performance Director Xavier Mestelan Pinon. "The progress achieved recently by all the constructors involved in Formula E has spurred us to surpass ourselves and be even more resourceful. The new-generation cars will have a power output of 250kW and a 54kWh battery. DS E-TENSE FE 19's drivers will consequently benefit from both twice the range and higher performance, and these gains mirror the phenomenal progress that has been seen in the world of electric vehicle technology made possible by Formula E. It is due to this level of technology that we are able to offer our customers ever more innovative cars and even higher performance, which is the real driving force behind our involvement in this avant-garde championship."

DS E-TENSE FE 19 incorporates a number of new solutions conceived by DS Performance. Work on the car began in September 2016 and the first components were submitted to bench testing the following spring. The target of a minimum weight of 900kg - driver and battery (380kg) included - represented a major challenge and DS Performance is also working on the development of an innovative energy recovery system based on electronically-controlled braking.

For its first public appearance, DS E-TENSE FE 19 features a matt black finish, which expresses DS Performance's new visual signature, while the livery's gold detailing symbolises France's unique savoir-faire in the luxury goods sector which is so dear to DS Automobiles.

Meanwhile, the lessons learned in racing are accelerating the development of DS Automobiles' range of electrified vehicles. Plug-in or all-electric variants of all its models will effectively be available in the future, the first example being DS 7 CROSSBACK E-TENSE 4x4 which will be equipped with two motors for a total power of 300 horsepower and a driving range on electricity alone in excess of 37 miles (60 kilometres).

"We are extremely proud of the way DS Performance is defending DS's colours in Formula E," affirms Yves Bonnefont, CEO, DS Automobiles. "Our brand is young and ambitious, and electrified vehicles have been a core part of our strategy from the outset. By 2025, 35 percent of the DSs we sell will be electrified versions. 2018 is a hugely important year for DS with the launch of DS 7 CROSSBACK and the debut of the new DS E-TENSE FE 19. More big surprises that benefit from the avant-garde innovation hatched by the creative forces at DS Automobiles are in store over the coming months, too."

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

DS E-TENSE FE 19

Type Single seater

LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 5.16m x 1.77m x 1.05m

WHEELBASE 3.10m

WEIGHT OF THE CAR 900kg minimum with driver

BATTERIES 54kwh capacity, 385kg

ENGINE Electric motor(s) driving the rear wheels

MAX POWER 250kW (338hp)

RACING ENERGY RECOVERED POWER 250kW

SUPPLY 900 V

BRAKES Ventilated carbon discs, 4-piston calipers, rear brake by wire

MAX SPEED 142.9mph (230kph) optimized for street circuits

0 TO 62mph (100kph) 2.8 seconds

BRAKING DISTANCE 100m to slow down from 142mph to 25mph

TYRES Michelin Pilot Sport EV season 5,

245x40R18 (Front) / 305x40R18 (Rear)

CONTACT INFORMATION

ADRIEN DA CUNHA BELVÈS – DS Performance

+33 685 262791 / adrien.dacunhabelves@DSautomobiles.com

DS AUTOMOBILES - UK COMMUNICATIONS

KEVIN JONES – Head of Communications

+44 (0)2476 884215 / +44 (0)7880 786596 / kevin.jones@DSautomobiles.com

UK PRESS WEBSITE: http://uk-media.dsautomobiles.com

For more information about DS Automobiles, please visit www.DSautomobiles.co.uk

FOLLOW DS ON TWITTER AT: www.twitter.com/ds_uk_official

FIND DS ON FACEBOOK AT: www.facebook.com/dsukofficial

FOLLOW DS ON INSTAGRAM AT: www.instagram.com/ds_uk

About DS AUTOMOBILES:

A French brand born in Paris, DS was founded on 1 June 2014. Its ambition is to embody the French know-how of luxury in its cars. Driven by its outstanding heritage and avant-garde spirit, DS perpetuates the values of innovation and distinction inherited from the first DS, launched in 1955. Designed for customers looking for a means to express themselves as individuals, the DS Collection comprises DS 3, DS 3 CABRIO, DS 4, DS 4 CROSSBACK, DS 5 (DS 5LS & DS 6 in China) and completed by the DS 7 CROSSBACK, the SUV featuring Parisian-style innovation and savoir-faire, ushers in the second generation of DS models. Committed to high-performance hybrid and electric cars, the Brand will launch the DS 7 CROSSBACK E-TENSE 4x4, the hybrid powertrain by DS, in 2019.

DS models are available from dedicated DS Stores and DS Salons. DS also has flagship stores, DS WORLD PARIS (33 rue François 1er in Paris, France, and DS Urban Store, at Westfield London. DS represents a brand experience that goes beyond the products to include ONLY YOU, a collection of exclusive services showcased at the 2016 Paris Motor Show.

Follow all DS news on www.DSautomobiles.com @DS_Official

DS Performance is the motorsport division of the business bringing technological expertise to Formula E. Future DS vehicles will have Hybrid (PHEV – Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) and Electric technology advanced by the competitive development at its motorsport division at DS Performance located in Satory, near Versailles, France.

ABOUT THE FIA ABB FORMULA E CHAMPIONSHIP

The FIA ABB Formula E Championship is the world’s first fully-electric single-seater racing series, competing on the streets in the backdrop of some of the most iconic cities - including Hong Kong, Marrakesh, Buenos Aires, Monaco, Paris, Montreal and New York. The championship represents a vision for the future of the motor industry, serving as a platform to showcase the latest innovations in electric vehicle technology and alternative energy solutions. Future seasons will see the regulations open up further allowing manufacturers to focus on the development of motor and battery components, which in turn will filter down to everyday contemporary electric road vehicles.

ABOUT TOTAL

Total is a global integrated energy producer and provider, a leading international oil and gas company, and the world's second-ranked solar energy operator with SunPower. Our 98,000 employees are committed to better energy that is safer, cleaner, more efficient, more innovative and accessible to as many people as possible. As a responsible corporate citizen, we focus on ensuring that our operations in more than 130 countries worldwide consistently deliver economic, social and environmental benefits.

ABOUT FIA & MICHELIN - Today’s partners for tomorrow’s mobility:

As well as being the official Formula E tyre supplier, Michelin is an official partner, at the international level, of the FIA Action for Road Safety campaign. The programme is designed to support the Decade of Action for Road Safety initiated by the UN, the aim of which is to save five million lives over the next 10 years. This programme is set up to educate and advocate for safer roads, vehicles and behaviours around the globe.