Many of us do not get used to the idea of all the work that goes into a car launch. The development of a car involves years of parallel projects that must coincide in an exact point. You need a design team but also a group of engineers in charge of the electronics, another for the suspension, not forgetting the chassis or the software technicians, and those are just a few. Previously, firms work on systems that cannot be tested in virtual banks and that must be tested by professionals. That’s where the competition comes into play. Since the early days of the automobile, racing has been the best line of research for manufacturers, whatever the category, championship or environment. Electrification is unstoppable so Formula E has become the laboratory of brands such as DS Automobiles , present in the zero emissions Grand Prix since 2015. After five seasons on the grid, the French team DS Techeetah has won the double crown of the competition: the constructors ‘world championship and the pilots’ world championship.
The ABB FIA Formula E Championship is still unknown to the masses. Despite the involvement of the largest automobile producers on the planet, few know the drivers that are measured on urban circuits around the world. That does not mean that the competition was the tightest. DS Techeetah has fought big-name rivals like Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Mahindra, Nissan, Jaguar, and even Porsche, among others. On the electric grid, experience is a degree and the cars must be reliable, performance and fast, very fast. The good results of the DS E-Tense FE20 catapulted the Portuguese Antonio Félix Da Costa and the French Jean-Eric Vergne to victory in the drivers’ contest, awarding the constructors crown to the DS Techeetah team .
A single-seater bullet
The DS E-Tense FE20 has become the benchmark of the Formula E season. It has a 900-volt, 54 kWh battery that is used to develop 250 kW of power (388 hp ). The acceleration of street electrics has nothing to do with that of this formula, which achieves 0 to 100 km / h in just 2.8 seconds and reaches 230 km / h of top speed. An electric bullet that has won on four of the street circuits this season. To achieve this, DS has made an effort to improve and introduce technological systems that we will see later in models such as the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense or DS 7 Crossback E-Tense.
As the team itself tells us: “The strength of DS TECHEETAH consists in having created one of the best energy management software of all the Formula E teams. If the motor and the electronic inverter are the central components of the system, the difference compared to its rivals is in the software that manages them ”. A solution that will be 100% applicable to standard cars, whether they are fully electric or plug-in hybrids.
DS 3 Crossback E-Tense
One of the models that has been able to launch thanks to the experience of DS Automobiles in Formula E is the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense. This compact SUV is already part of our cities thanks to its elegant and differentiated design, which shows to the world the philosophy and French know-how of the premium firm of the PSA group. In addition, this small town has become the official car of Coquetto, the sustainable restaurant and local product of the Sandoval brothers. The electric DS 3 will be in charge of transporting gourmet dishes to locals who request it through the CoquettoGO platform, their home delivery service .
Thanks to the 320 kilometers of electric autonomy, they will be able to make deliveries with zero CO2 emissions. A fundamental detail for a project that is committed to ecology and the recovery of the traditional essence at lunchtime. In addition, they will not lack power thanks to the 100 kW of its engine, about 136 hp, and the 3.3 seconds it needs to reach 50 km / h . Features more than enough to fit the needs of chef Mario Sandoval, DS Automobiles ambassador , and who, together with his two brothers Rafael and Diego, created the avant-garde concept of Coque restaurant, worthy of two Michelin stars.
