Market launch for electric DS 3 and DS 7 Crossback
The PSA subsidiary DS Automobiles is now accepting orders for the all-electric compact SUV DS 3 Crossback E-Tense and the larger electric SUV DS 7 Crossback E-Tense 4×4 with plug-in hybrid drive. So far, prices have only been announced for a few countries.
In Renault’s domestic market France, the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense starts at 39,100 Euro, for the DS 7 Crossback E-Tense 4×4 at least 54,300 Euro are due. For European customers, the prices should be in a similar order of magnitude and orders in Switzerland are open.
When comparing with corresponding models of the competition, it shows that DS is aiming for competitive prices. DS boss Yves Bonnefont assured reporters that they still want to make profits with the duo – without naming a margin, however.
Delivery of the two electrified DS models is scheduled to start this summer. They will alternate with their combustion counterparts at the Sochaux plant. Bonnefont is quoted as saying that in principle it is possible to increase the share of electrified models in total production there to up to 50 percent. However, the batteries could turn out to be a bottleneck. They are currently made by Dongfeng. The DS CEO sees a clear solution, stating: “We urgently need our own cell production in Europe. This is of fundamental importance”. The PSA plant in Sochaux near the three-nation corner of France/Switzerland/Germany is currently being considered as a site for a battery cell factory as part of the Franco-German initiative to establish cell production in Europe.
But back to the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense and the plug-in hybrid DS 7 Crossback E-Tense 4×4. Technical data on both vehicles have already been known since the Paris Motor Show in September. Therefore we will keep it brief: The DS 3 Crossback E-Tense, based on PSA’s eCMP platform, features a 100 kW electric motor and a 50 kWh battery, which features a range of up to 320 kilometres by WLTP. The compact SUV accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h within 8.7 seconds, with a top speed of 150 km/h.
The plug-in hybrid version of the DS 7 Crossback combines a 1.6-litre petrol engine with an 8-speed automatic transmission and two electric motors, resulting in a total output of 225 kW with a torque of 450 Nm. The 13.2 kWh battery system stored in the underbody should allow for 50 purely electric kilometres (WLTP).
With this duo, the PSA brand, which is only five years old, will enter the electric market for the first time. By 2025, the French want to have six electrified models on the market.
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