It was not the French, but the English who tackled the electrification of an icon of the French automobile.
And no matter how hard we look, vintage car lovers like us have no complaints.
Explanations.
What is the main argument of the enthusiast against electrification?
The sacrifice of the gasoline engine, of course.
Having to do without sound or smells.
And in fact, that is understandable for, for example, the old Flat 6 of a Porsche, for a V6 or a V8 Mercedes, and even for the inimitable two-cylinder of a Two Hairy.
But the DS?
Good riddance
From birth, the Goddess was admired for her comfort and stability at high speeds. But from the start, too, it was said that his engines were like a pebble in the shoe. Engines designed in the 1930s, too noisy and not efficient enough, not noble enough for the avant-garde marvel that was (and still is) the legendary Citroën. So basically, good riddance. With an electric motor of 120 hp and 235 Nm, absolute silence adds to the proverbial comfort of the DS.
And beware: the replacement of the engine is one of the only two modifications made.
The other is to replace the original hydraulic pump with a modern, quieter pump.
Indeed, the petrol engine no longer being there to cover it, it turned out that this pump was also quite "present".
Apart from that, the original clutch and gearbox (in its place, in front of the engine) are preserved.
As we explained in our review of the Opel Manta ElektroMOD, we therefore have the choice of driving old-fashioned, or letting it go fully automatic.
The battery allows a range of 192 km (enough for Sunday outings), and a battery exceeding 300 km will soon be offered.
The price of the conversion is not specified.
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Energetic transition
Collection
Citroën
Car
Electric car
Vintage
Automotive