DS Hints an Electric Future with the X E-Tense EV Concept
The DS X E-Tense concept car is a radical vision of what luxury electric automobiles could look like in 2035: a deliberately asymmetric, three-seat grand tourer with two entirely different driving experiences built into one body, 1,360 hp on tap in track mode, and a Focal audio system embedded directly into the wooden dashboard.
A Concept Built Around Asymmetry
Most concept cars, however dramatic, apply the same design logic to both sides of the car. DS Automobiles broke that convention completely with the X E-Tense. The driver's side is an open cockpit: no roof, no canopy, a low seating position, and a steering wheel in metal, wood, and leather facing open air. The passenger side is the opposite: a closed sensory capsule with a full canopy where all information is projected onto the surface of the canopy itself rather than onto traditional screens. There is no dashboard on the passenger side. Instead, the floor is electro-chromatic glass, and passengers can look directly through it to the road below.
Performance: 540 hp in Normal Mode, 1,360 hp on Track
The X E-Tense is powered by a fully electric powertrain developed in collaboration with DS Performance, the same technical team behind Citroen's Formula E programme. In its standard urban driving mode, the car deploys 400 kW (540 hp) and supports an autonomous driving mode for relaxed city travel. Engage track mode and a full 1,000 kW (1,360 hp) becomes available, activating a comprehensive suite of traction, grip, and deceleration systems to keep the car on track.
DS design director Thierry Metroz described the thinking: the prevailing trend in electric and autonomous concept cars had sacrificed the notion of driving pleasure in favour of technology bubbles. The X E-Tense sets out to prove the opposite: that an advanced electric vehicle can heighten sensory engagement rather than eliminate it.
Interior: Focal Sound, Coffee, and Scented Air
The shared dashboard between driver and passenger is a slim piece of natural wood, repurposed as both a design element and a speaker housing developed with French audio house Focal. Acoustic waves adjust in real time based on the listener's position in the cabin. Alongside the audio system, DS included a built-in coffeemaker and an air purification system that fills the cabin with filtered, scented air. These choices reflect a deliberate intent: the X E-Tense is not an exercise in minimalism but in considered maximalism, where every element serves a specific experience.
What It Signals for Electric Vehicle Design
The X E-Tense was unveiled in Beijing in 2018 as DS Automobiles' vision of its 2035 product direction. Unlike many motor show concepts that represent purely aesthetic speculation, it was built around the Formula E technical platform, grounding its performance claims in real engineering. DS has since moved steadily toward an all-electric lineup. For the full design breakdown, Top Gear covered the X E-Tense in depth at its reveal, and DS Automobiles UK maintains the official concept car documentation.
Explore Electric Vehicle Concepts and the Future of Cars on TheArsenale
The DS X E-Tense demonstrates that the transition to electric powertrains does not require a retreat from driving experience. For those who believe in that same philosophy, TheArsenale curates the most forward-looking electric vehicles and mobility innovations available. Explore the cars collection and the tech collection, and discover machines like the Bugatti Baby II electric car and the Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG Venuum coachbuilt SUV that share the X E-Tense's conviction that performance and electric propulsion belong together.
