PSA, the group comprising of French manufacturers Peugeot, Citroen, and DS, is currently on a quest to reinvent itself. After attempting to move the Citroen brand in a more upscale market and failing, and after doing absolutely nothing remarkable with the other marque, it looks like PSA has finally decided to try something new.
It will surprise no one that this new future revolves around the promise of electric cars with more than decent maximum range - at least by today's standards - built from the ground up to use battery power, and also look like it. Because you must have noticed by now that alternative fuels in cars are almost always accompanied by not so common designs.
The schedule for this new direction in PSA's strategy has the first mass-market EV set for a 2019 launch, with three more to follow by 2021. All of them will use the newly developed platform called e-CMP. It is an evolution of the already existing CMP (Common Modular Platform) that PSA adapted for battery power use with help from Chinese company Dongfeng Motors.
The numbers sound enticingly enough, with a maximum range of 450 kilometers (280 miles) promised, and the ability to recharge at fast rates of 12 km (7.5 miles) of range for every minute spent plugged-in. There is no talk about these vehicles' dynamic performances, but they will probably be adapted to each of the vehicle types. So don't get your hopes too high on a rocket-quick version of those great Citroen minivans.
But if it's a PSA electric fast car that you're after, you can do a lot worse than the DS E-Tense. Built under the DS brand name (kind of a luxury/odd division for Citroen), the E-Tense is a limited-edition electric sports car meant to raise awareness for this new range of vehicles that will come out of PSA's factory doors. Alright, consider our awareness raised.
The DS E-Tense is no Tesla killer, but that doesn't mean that given the chance to drive just one of them on a spiraling mountain road, you wouldn't go for the Frenchie. Its low silhouette and flat stance, coupled with the EV's natural excellent weight distribution mean that only a terrible steering feedback could make this anything less than a hoot to drive. It's got 402 hp, a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph) and it accelerates to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.5 seconds. It has rear-wheel-drive and even though it uses a carbon fiber monocoque chassis, the electric bits still take the total weight to 1.8 tons (just over 4,000 pounds).
But, seriously now, this vehicle is all about the looks. See for yourself.
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