Now 3 weeks from the pre-season tests, which will bring together all the teams on the Valencia circuit (Spain), the French manufacturer DS Automobiles and its American partner Penske Autosport have unveiled their new car, the DS E-TENSE FE25. Black and gold, a bit like the special “Grand Gala” livery presented in Monaco last season, the newcomer carries the body design that the FIA calls GEN3 Evo, but also a brand new powertrain developed by DS Performance (the competition department of DS Automobiles).
This “GMP” integrates a latest generation electric motor, a new inverter (element which transforms battery energy into electricity) and a revised gearbox. This set aims to make the car easier to drive, while Formula E cars also have a reputation for having very hard steering (some drivers even had to do specific weight training sessions to respond to certain situations on the track ). The other big novelty is the use of the front engine, until now limited to a generator role (to recover energy during slowdown phases), and which this time will also power the front wheels.
This will be the case during qualifying, but also if Attack mode is activated during the race. The car will then deliver its maximum power of 476 hp, and will be four-wheel drive (two-wheel drive in all other cases). To help the power go to the ground, Hankook has developed new tires, which is not a luxury compared to the very hard rubber used so far. This new package should allow a substantial increase in performance, while 0 to 100 km/h is announced in less than two seconds. We can expect very lively departures.
Un solide line-up
Frenchman Jean-Éric Vergne is still a starter of choice for the Franco-American team. He is the only double champion in the discipline, has extensive experience in the championship and welcomes a new teammate this year. The lucky winner is Maximilian Günther. The German driver raced for Maserati last year and joined DS Penske during the summer. He also has a good knowledge of Formula E, has already experienced the joys of victory three times, and regularly finishes his races in the big points. He will not only be a good ally for JEV but also his best enemy, as he demonstrated several times last season by regularly outclassing the French champion.
We can therefore say that DS Penske has one of the best line-ups in the championship. But will it be enough against Jaguar and Porsche, the big budget teams in the series? We remember that DS Penske achieved the greatest number of “front row” positions on the starting grid last season, but that the results in the race did not always follow. The Valencia tests will be there to give a first information as to the level of each person as this new campaign approaches, but the moment of truth will come on December 7 during the first race of the season, in São Paulo (Brazil) .
“We did everything we could to put all the chances on our side with this new car” says Phil Charles, deputy director of the DS Penske team. “Winning races is a combination of many elements. Of course you need a good car and talented drivers – which is our case – but you also need to be able to put the right people in the right place in the team. For me, this is one of the secrets of success, which is not necessarily linked to the budget. Then, you have to be creative, generate the greatest possible cohesion. This is our constant quest. »
Although the drivers have of course carried out numerous tests with their new car, they are still lacking information, in particular on the behavior of the car on short-term circuits or driving in a peloton.
“It is certain that having to manage the change from two to four-wheel drive during the race requires adapting to the changing behavior of the car. » says Maximilian Günther. “Energy management will also be a key element, but above all you will have to qualify well because it will move very quickly. We don’t know yet where the others are in terms of performance, but our new car is very sharp. I can’t wait to take my first start behind the wheel. »
Joint testing will take place during the first week of November, then the cars will be shipped directly to South America in preparation for the first race. The engineers will then only be able to develop the car’s management software, with the clear objective for DS Penske to do better than the third place in the Teams’ championship won last year.
Technical characteristics DS E-TENSE FE25
New powertrain developed by DS Performance (competition branch of DS Automobiles)
Front motor (250 kW) and rear motor (350 kW)
Maximum combined power: 350 kW (476 HP) in all-wheel drive
Maximum speed: 280 km/h (optimized for urban circuits)
Acceleration 0 to 100 km/h: Less than 2 seconds
Electric brake system on 4 wheels (brake by wire)
Braking energy recovery power: 600 kW
50% of the energy used during a race comes from braking regeneration
Also read:
Join Auto-Moto on WhatsApp so you don’t miss any car and 2-wheel news!
Featured Podcasts
MEN LIFE
In Brief
DS Automobiles is celebrating its 10th season in Formula E with a new electric single-seater which has the particularity of occasionally switching from two to four-wheel drive. Explanations.
