DS in Formula E at least until 2026

If Audi and BMW have decided to turn their backs on Formula E At the end of the next season, DS Automobiles has taken the opposite view from its German rivals, by confirming its presence in the discipline until at least 2026.

« Electrification is at the heart of DS Automobiles' global strategy, underlines Béatrice Foucher, general director of the French firm. Since we were the first premium manufacturer to enter Formula E, our brand has greatly benefited from the work and victories of DS Performance, both for the development of our range and to raise awareness of our brand. Today, if DS Automobiles is the multi-energy manufacturer with the lowest average CO2 emissions in Europe, it is also thanks to our expertise acquired in Formula E. This commitment until 2026 will offer us new opportunities to continue our developments! »

It must be said that since it entered Formula E, the French manufacturer is the only one to have never gone through a season without a victory. There remain two Team titles and as many Driver titles in a row, the latter having been respectively gleaned by Jean-Eric Vergne and António Félix da Costa. He also holds all the records for victories and pole positions since the introduction of “Gen2”.

« We learned a lot while developing the first generation of Formula E and the results have been there, winning every title since the launch of Gen2, adds Xavier Mestelan Pinon, director of DS Performance. Thanks to the next car, Formula E will take another step forward with more performance and the possibility of ultra-fast charging. »

As a reminder, the latter will enter competition in 2022-2023. Lighter, it will see its power increase by 40% to 350 kW in qualifying and 300 kW in the race. Active on both axles, energy recovery will reach a maximum power of 600 kW compared to 250 kW today.

After Mahindra, DS Automobiles is the second manufacturer to officially join this “Gen3”.