The ninth season of the ABB FIA Formula E championship gets underway on Saturday 14 January at the Mexico City circuit. It’s a key moment that will mark the debut of the Gen 3 car, which is more powerful, efficient, and lighter than its predecessor.
DS Performance has been involved since the constructors’ championship first started (in Season 2) and now starts its eighth season at the sharp end of the 100% electric championship. It’s a long-term engagement that mirrors the desire to develop technology transfer and imagine the mobility of tomorrow. Created at the same time as DS Automobiles itself in 2014, the competition arm of the French manufacturer has racked up an impressive collection of podiums and victories in the ABB FIA Formula E championship, with two double titles, 15 victories, 44 podiums and 21 pole positions.
When it made its debut in 2014, DS Performance was organised as a start-up. This way of working, synonymous with agility, allowed the company to produce its first powerplant in record time and to take four pole positions and four podiums in its debut Formula E season (2015-2016).
Strengthened by such a promising start, the competition division of DS progressively restructured and reinforced itself. Season after season, the engineers developed cars that were more and more reliable and competitive. And the very first car created for Gen 2 went on to make history for DS Performance and Formula E thanks to a first double title (teams and drivers) win with Jean-Eric Vergne in Season 5 (2018-2019). This exploit would be repeated the following year with another double title – sweeping up both the teams and drivers’ classifications again – with Antonio Felix Da Costa.
There were no titles for DS Performance in Seasons 7 and 8 but the team kept up a solid pace among the championship frontrunners, finishing third in the Teams classification in both 2021 and 2022. These consistent results allowed the squad to complete the Gen2 era with a record number of points and podiums.
Today, after two years of solid work, DS Performance is ready to take to the track in Mexico with the new DS E-TENSE FE23. This is a third-generation car at the cutting edge of electric technology, which will be raced by reigning champion Stoffel Vandoorne as well as Jean-Eric Vergne, Formula E’s only double world champion.
The competition arm of DS Automobiles has now gone from an organisation in ‘start-up’ mode to a true commando force: entirely dedicated to the Formula E programme and capable of elevating DS to fight against the most prestigious manufacturers in the world. A passionate team of men and women, at the service of DS Automobiles, with a core mission to transfer technology.
In the same road to track spirit, the DS E-TENSE PERFORMANCE prototype developed by DS Performance is another important and ultra-efficient asset when it comes to research and development. Equipped with two Formula E engines, this prototype is a high-performance laboratory that allows several elements to be tested with a view to future commercial production. Carrying out these life-sized tests allows DS to find solutions that make components more reliable, and lower production costs.
Thanks to the accumulated expertise of DS Performance, DS Automobiles has established itself as a benchmark when it comes to electrification, offering all its models (new DS 3, DS 4, new DS 7 and DS 9) with an electrified option. Under the E-TENSE label, DS Automobiles sells 100% electric cars as well as plug-in hybrids, which put out up to 360hp, complete with four-wheel drive.
Performance vehicles such as the DS 9 E-TENSE 4×4 360 or the new DS 7 E-TENSE 4×4 360 are the flagships of DS Automobiles, integrating concepts and powertrain architectures that are directly derived from Formula E. Conceived within a specific division of Stellantis Motorsport and closely linked to the engineers from DS Performance, these sporting models recreate the Formula E experience. It’s a synergy that directly benefits every DS Automobiles customer.
From 2024, all the new models launched by DS will be 100% electric. More than ever, the brand’s involvement in Formula E is at the very heart of what it does. For this Season 9, DS Performance’s objective is clear: winning back the titles with a renowned new partner, PENSKE AUTOSPORT.
Eugenio Franzetti, DS Performance Director:
“DS Performance is a real success story. Thanks to the quality, passion and talent of its mechanics, engineers and drivers, the Stellantis Group’s premium French brand has made Formula E history with a record number of wins and podiums. DS Automobiles created its competitions department, DS Performance, with the clear ambition of gathering all the necessary experience to accelerate its electrification strategy and increase its reputation. This strategy has delivered results immediately thanks to high-performance rechargeable hybrid powerplants as well as 100% electric units. Continuing on from this step, our all-new GEN3 DS E-TENSE FE23 single-seater developed by DS Performance will allow us to bring experience from the track to the latest generation of electric road cars. From 2024 in fact, all the new cars from our brand will be 100% electric.”
Jean-Philippe Delaire, DS9 E-TENSE 4×4 360 and DS7 E-TENSE 4×4 360 Project Chief:
“All the motorsport experience gained by DS Performance has been put into the development of the DS9 E-TENSE 4×4 360 and DS7 E-TENSE 4×4 360. Innovative energy management strategies have also been invented as a result, especially in terms of energy recovery. We see the rigorous demands of competition applied to everyday use in the production of the DS9 E-TENSE 4×4 360 at a dedicated workshop in Poissy. Every car benefits from a specific set-up developed by a specialised team, just as is the case for our racing machines, in order to deliver optimal performance on the road.”
Key figures since DS Automobiles entered Formula E:
- 89 races
- 4 championship titles
- 15 victories
- 44 podiums
- 22 pole positions
