Electric Citroen DS Conversion | Electrogenic
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- Опубліковано 21 чер 2021
- The beautiful Citroen DS is now fully electric and the perfect Retro-EV.
The DS is Steve's dream car but Ian wasn't so sure....they take it for a drive at Bicester Heritage and have a close look at the conversion details.
Watch to find out if Ian still needs convincing and who gets to drive....
Car details -
1972 Citroen DS
1 x Netgain Hyper 9 Motor
Original gearbox
Battery - 50kWh
Torque - 235Nm
Power - 90kW, 120bhp
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The DS always looked as if it’s engine should sound like this, wonderful; a timeless beauty given an electric future
Thank you!
Good point! 👍
My thoughts exactly, couldn't choose a more suitable classic car for EV conversion. After all the DS looks like a space ship and what was impressive about was everything except the engine!
U remember DS ' Decapoteble' from Gattaca movie ? ... and Avanti !?! ..
Yes .. not every classic cars suits electrification (design wise).. but .. Fiero(little DeLorean-) .. Miata or MR2 .. (with dead petrol engines) seems to be perfect ....
U remember DS ' Decapoteble' from Gattaca movie ? ... and Avanti !?! ..
Yes .. not every classic cars suits electrification (design wise).. but .. Fiero(little DeLorean-) .. Miata or MR2 .. (with dead petrol engines) seems to be perfect ...
Citroen should come out with their own DS EV. It would be a smash hit and they'd sell a million.
I just stumbled across this clip! Rather than any other car, the DS deserves an EV conversion.
Thanks for keeping the perfect hydro-pneumatic gadgets - yes I know some who didn’t understand them messed up with them. But Electric drive matches perfectly with the DS idea of a most-comfortable ride: just because it eliminates the rough (not “rubbish”!) engine. A straight-six would have been great but EV is waaaay better! OMG, why was the technology not available in the sixties, it would have revolutionised the car industry and saved the climate even without catalytic converters 😢
it was available, they just hid it because they were making money from oil
That’s exactly the comment that I wanted to make ! The Citroen DS was a great car in its time, but there have been so many technical advancements since then. If Citroen were to re-launch a 21st century EV version of the DS at a reasonable price, their order books would be full for a long time to come !!! 🚗⚡️👍
beautiful... I wish Citroen would do a new one based from this.
unfortunately eu laws won’t allow it
The jetsons car finally gets a worthy power train and retains that authentic sound of a French car's door rattling shut. Perfect 👌
Thank you!
My favourite car and it looks as good today as 1955, it shows you how advanced this car was and in electric guise perfect for the future again.
I agree that the EV conversion suits the DS, but the original engines weren’t “rubbish”. They were neither very powerful nor very refined, but they were rugged, reliable and economic. Most cars of the DS’ class used much more horsepower and even more petrol to match the DS’ performance, and their engines would be clapped out long before the Citroën engines. The DS 21 I.E. was one of the very first applications of electronic injection.
The architecture of the car didn’t allow for a six in-line and the Maserati V6 was reserved for the SM when it appeared, but it also demonstrated the very virtues of the DS, which was the standard car for French businessmen who had to drive a lot for work, also because of engines that would go on forever with limited maintenance and good fuel economy.
totally agree I got one they are really strong Far more than many other car makers of the time Also the ds motor gives really good gas mileage
Originally, a much more powerful and smooth flat six was planned, but the development of the hydropneumatics and the body were so expensive that they ran out of money, after the takeover by Michelin the engine plans were scrapped.
I saw a DS in the showroom where I have my C5 serviced and was surprised at how much presence this car has.
Every part, every line, every curve, every everything demanded my attention, I was totally drawn to it like a magnet
and it really is like no other. That line about it coming from outer space is used to describe the Lamborghini Countach also.
If you were cashed up you'd have the pair. Electric power is what it deserved from its inception and satisfying to see
it happening now, well done.
Almost like pottery
The DS weak link was always the engine - Citroen couldn't afford a new one. Electric works with the smooth running comfort orientated nature of the car and with minimal need to gear change, it reminds me a little of the original semi auto DS. The suspension will cope well with the battery weight. Love to know performance / range and more detail on the conversion.
I dont understand why it needs gears at all?
@@adrenalinsounds To ease the conversion process, otherwise a new diff and reduction gear would be required between motor and wheels.
More details coming soon...
@@adrenalinsounds I guess it was too difficult to yank the box out and put something new in there, cheaper to leave it with a small weight cost.
I don´t think that the engine was a weak point at all. My DS 23 Injection Electronique has a fantastic motor with a lot of tourque!
The most beautiful and most technologically advanced car of all time, given the technological boost needed to move it into the modern times.
An absolute beauty. Work of art.
Une voiture absolument incroyable pour le temps 🥂
Perfect old smooth classic for electric conversion. I remember the thick carpet and smooth suspension as a kid back in the early 70`s, car hitting 120 m.p.h. Madness when i think about it, me and my two young cousin`s and an uncle at the wheel. Those were the days, my friend!
She´s gorgeous! Great job on the conversion.
Thanks!
Imagine if Citroën redesigned the car's structure to modern standards with 3 EV drive train options: single motor with FWD or RWD, whichever handles beter, as the econo model, 4wd dual motor for a sports option, and a 4wd with in-wheel motors for a grand tourer while keeping the original exterior and interior with as few tasteful changes as possible. The car's performance would finally equal its looks. Dream car.
the suspension is the soul of this car
岛市老八 As you noticed they still have the hydraulic suspension working.
Marvelous car. Way ahead of its time Very futuristic looking. The amazing hydropneumatic suspension that they have. Everything about it is style. This model is nice in the gold color.
Beautiful, but I’d also like to see a nuts and bolts video of how you do it.
The thing with electric technology is that it's always progressing so the ev conversion to this DS is already receeding.
Brilliant! Oh my God! This is the car I was dreaming and now I feel like there's a door to knock on. And the door is in UK where I spend my childhood days! DS EV badge, nice touch. Subscribed and will see what you come up with. Maybe I will have my DS to be converted. Hooray! Greetings from Tokyo, Japan.
Thank you, it's one of the cars we were dreaming of too - the perfect Retro-EV! Thanks for subscribing - lots more coming very soon.
This is what the DS has been waiting for all them years 😉
I’ve dreamt of this car for over sixty years , beautiful. In its era the Traction Avant was extremely stylish , where the Keystone cops come from I’ve no idea .
This has been a splendid conversion of a truly deserving design.
Thank you - it is one of our all-time favourite conversions
The traction avant was also a very advanced car upon introduction. One of the first mass produced front wheel drives, the engine and drivetrain sat on a removeable sub frame for servicing, and it sat low within a perimeter frame. really wasn't keystone cops, though it was the choice of gangsters with a touch of style.
Perfect candidate for conversion. Beautifully executed.Thanks for showing.
Thank you!
props for that intro, that was such a smooth transition and what a lovely car!
Much appreciated!
I’m not usually a fan of EV conversion is of classic cars - but in this instance, given that the engine was seen to be the DS’s weak link, this makes perfect sense to me. Has a similar conversion been completed on a CX yet? A GTi Turbo EV conversion would be a fantastic car!
Great that you retained the suspension - my first job in an Accountants had a couple of Citroen enthusiasts and I drove a CX once and a BX several times. The rise at startup brought it back!
Beautiful shape ! I would love to own this car . Really amazing ! Corners well too !
Thanks Gerry! It's one of our all-time favourites
I first set eyes on this Citroen in 1976. I was overwhelmed by its iconomic look and body line.
And now that it has an electric soul it lends an out of this world fee
Excellent job. I'd love to have my DS20 be electric, even though I'm a huge petrolhead. For me, a big part of the classic experience is the sound of the car's engine, but the serenity of an electric motor definitely suits the DS better than the standard lump under the bonnet.
Sorry to inform you that we are not allowed to appreciate ICE's and electric.
You must love one and hate the other on today's social media.
It's like watching Gattaca but with old dudes!
Could listen to you guys chatting all day ...
Thanks!
So Great. All the old stuff hassle out. Makes you have more fun to daily enjoy this.
That is simply stunning, how amazing to see a DS being converted to electric, what a beautiful car.
I generally don't like seeing old classic cars electrified, but somehow it fits the DS. It looks like it should have been electric from the factory, whispering along in quiet elegance.
Imagine the reaction if only André Lefebvre and Bertoni could see this car now. They'd be chuffed.
Superb! 👍🎩
The smoothest car with its high-tech suspensions and right Now in a pure silence !
Great job Indeed
Thank you! 👍
Amazing job. The greatest quality EV conversion of a DS I've seen for now.
I am also restoring a '71 unit. The original idea was to go electric. It really fits this car, since the engine is not what the DS deserved. However, I will need to license the car as "Historical" here in Spain, and that doesn't allow significant modifications to the original layout. I can't get a regular license because the car is imported from France and, despite I have the original french "carte grisse", there are other missing documents. But, even if I could, the homologation requirements here in Spain are nuts. The process cost is likely equal to all the EV hardware needed. So, I will go for gasoline, but it's just great to see that others have took this interesting approach, and have done such a great job. Congratulations!!
Like the Delorean, it's just one of those beautiful classic vehicles that electrifying feels "just right" ☺️
I'm so excited that I found this video. I have a podcast called still plays with cars (Spotify) and episode 3 was all about the DS and in episode 5 I talked about exactly this sort of powertrain swap on a DS, it's awesome that you have done it. I want one
Fabulous... A DS with a refined engine at last.... It was meant to have a flat 6 but they ran out of money.
As a 24 year old in 1977 I owned the petrol pinnacle of DS sedans - a 1972 DS21 EFI 5 speed manual in sable (silver gold) with tan deerskin seats, head and armrests.
139 bhp and top speed of 190 kph... Armchair rocket ship on Aussie country roads cruising at 150-160 kph. Complete with La Marseillaise air horns when overtaking... a lot..
A far cry from my first car - a 1962 Aussie assembled Citroen ID19 producing 83 bhp and a maximum of 145 kph,
Amazing conversion, with the hydraulic suspension too!
absolutely gorgeous car, and converted to boot ! perfection !
Great conversion and it looks so good.
I'm at a loss though as to why one of the gents keeps referring to the Traction Avant as "Keystone Cops" like. The TA was the antitheses of the vehicles used in Keystone Cops movies.
Spot on CK. Commandeered Avants racing around Paris with Nazi behind the wheel comes to mind
@@stevepearce6689 thanks
To be fair to it the TA also looked amazing compared to what was around it at the time - and engineering-wise probably as ahead of the curve for its day as the DS
I believe the comment is a just a styling comparison between old fashioned and futuristic
An electric TA would be amazing too.
Great to see this is finished. Get well soon Steve, happy to come and do and mowing if you need 😉
Absolutely fantastic! - Now the DS has got the right engine - after almost 70 years... excellent job! Do I want one? Oh yesss...
It does not have an engine anymore. It has a motor.
Great conversion! Time to a DS Chapron convertible. Imagine, gliding through France with one of those! The pinnacle of savoir vivre!
Like so many people I have always loved the look of the Citroen DS but have been frightened to take the plunge and actually buy one, the nearest I got was buying a GSA, the morning after I bought it I was convinced that I’d done the wrong thing, then I took it for a long drive and I was hooked, what an amazing ride so smooth on any road surface, and those brakes, I nearly put my wife through the windscreen the first time I put the brakes on 😂🤣 I now have a Tesla model 3 which I love but I’d swap it for an electric DS, PLEASE show us more videos if you convert any more Citroen cars, I’ve subscribed so an looking forward to seeing more 👍🏻😁
As others mentioned - build and tech details! Range, performance compared to the original etc. DS should be electric :) "Stelantis" should bring this back as electric.
Wow. Love it. I owned a 1966, a 1970, a 1972 and then a 1974 pallas... They were great. An electric version would be superb!
In the 1997 film, "Gattica", the cars used are, I believe a Citroen, Rover and Avanti. In the movie they appear to be electric. This car would have fitted in very well!
The only anachronistic part of the ds was the wheezy old engine in such an advanced car. This electric conversion is completing the original ethos. Fantastic stuff! Must have costed a ton though..
That is why I love the SM more
@@MrTruth111 The SM is not an electric car! It was powered by a Maserati V6 engine!
@@jourwalis-8875 don't you think I would know that?
@@jourwalis-8875 I like the SM more than the DS because it had the bigger engine, what would be obvious from the comment.
@@jourwalis-8875 he likes sm more because it had a better engine than DS - not because he thought it was electric
That's so cool.... My first car was a GS Pallas.
You have completed this master piece . Please Citroën take this as an example for what you should propose now
If l had the money I’d have this over most sports cars .
Us too!
Definetely!
DS is just perfect for EV conversion. CX also, I would really love to see that one.
I had a lovely '74 DS pallas for many years - lovely car. I Always thought that the answer for classics was to convert to electric - this is great!
Very beautiful car, and very nice work !😊
It’s a pleasure to see your smile inside this DS😊!!
Nice video 👍😄
Thank you!
That is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen, your conversion is stunning. Oh, to be rich enough to indulge in that!
Thanks! And it is so nice to drive.....
Electric so suits this car...also my dream car that I used to see as a drooling 10 year old with all the RAF officers driving in RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus during the early 70's
We agree! Our dream car too - and even more so now it's electric
Great efforts,good job,congra from México.
about time. mind you it'll be awhile before I forget the sound of the 4cylinder1911 cc booming past me at 90mph
These are great cars. What let these cars down when they were new was the engine. It was an old design put in to a futuristic body and design. What you have done is truly amazing and transformed a beautiful car to an amazing one. Well done.
Thank you!
Just amazing this car should have always been a electric car.. its beautiful 😍
Thanks!
U welcome awesome stuff
Une des plus belle et unique voiture dans le monde de l’automobile. Elle ne vielliera jamais. Merci Andre et son Team CITROEN.🙏🙏🇫🇷🇫🇷🔧🔨🪛💡
I don't have a Citroén DS because my wife won't let me buy one and we don't have room for one anyway. But this is ABSOLUTELY my favorite all time car (clarification - I'm talking about the car built from the 1950s to the 1970s). The only reason I would take another car if someone gave it to me would be if I could sell it and buy a Citroén DS from the late '60s to '70s with this body style. And if I could also convert it from gas to electric. OH MY GOD I couldn't think of anything better. And yes, I would take this over ANY car out there!
We completely agree! It is one of our all-time favourite conversions - the perfect Retro-EV. Hope you get one someday...and we'd love to convert it for you :-)
Dream EV restomod for sure!
Nice to hear yoj changed the pneumatic pump, it still balances exactly like the original. But with some electronics upgrade could be run flatter...the car is a beast and can eat whatever you throw at it ans speed wise would make it a serious fast one.
Beautiful and respectful. Great job!
Thanks for sharing
One of my favourites.
Brilliant idea for a brilliant car.
A fully electric DS! I want one!
This is my dream car too, and electrique is the only way to go… Ah, if I had the money, I’d find a DS and bring it to you!
Absolutely! We would love to build one for you!
Fascinating
That is awesome !
Citroen should definately re-release the original DS as an EV.
good job ! Yes the DS is unique ! And regarding to the new cars as Tesla does, it remains a good reference for a long time ! Thanks from france
This conversion on the SM would make the perfect car.
Oh God no, that would be complete heresy. Nobody should ever replace a Maserati engine with a horrific electric motor, unless they want to burn in hell of course
@@onelyone6976 Yes but I am talking about making a daily driver, that Maserati engine is super sensitive and broken alot, is cool but a electric conversion will make the sm a better car, the Maserati engine makes the sm cooler but not better.
@@JR-uy2nd disagreed, the Maserati engine, although fragile is a very integral part of the cars character, although if an electric SM is made, is sure should start from an example with already a gutted/non salvageable engine, although that should go with any classic EV restomod ever
If ever a classic car suited EV conversion, it's the DS. I'd probably do the same thing if I had one, but I don't. I've got an SM, and you can't lose the engine in that. It's the soul of the car.
Well, it will be when it works again!
Many great classics deserved to be supported with E-Fuels and new alternatives in the ICE manner, The DS, however, never truly had a great engine, and a battery-powered system makes complete sense with the car's ethos. Excellent work!
Thank you!
Ah, the Electric Goddess.
If logic prevailed the electric drive train would have been with us back when the DS was born, corporate greed, politics, meant oil, gas and a wheezy 4 banger. If ever a car demanded the effortless shove of electric it was the goddess, superb riding, styling that is still years ahead (one day automotive designers will be brave enough again to fair in the rear wheels and taper the track get that free aero, looking at you Franz ). Finally the DS is the car it always should have been.
It's always a pleasure to see a timeless work of art being taken care of by enthusiasts.
The CX ( coefficient of entry into the air ) is so good, it could put to shame any Tesla in terms of style and autonomy, with the same engine as the tesla you put it against.
Since when do teslas have an engine?
Superb
Thank you!
This is pretty much the only classic car I would ever want to EV-swap. It was never supposed to be saddled with a reheated Traction-Avant engine anyway; they just ran out of time/money to give it an engine it deserved.
A hundred years from now, this car will still be ahead of it's time. The motor should sound like a Jetson's vehicle, because it is so far ahead of it's time.
Citroën should make this car (again) as a hybrid or a pure ev. This design was ahead of its time when it was released (and still is), the only comparison I can think of would be the revolutionary NSU RO 80 a decade later. Also a bold concept in a body from the future.
Got to disagree with you calling the TA like something from the Keystone Cops.
The TA was a beautiful car and every bit as iconic as the DS was.
It was one of the most advanced cars on the road when it first appeared way back in 1934 .
So to denigrate it is just plain ignorance and simply wrong.
I believe what it meant is it's a pre-war design, and very dated by the time the DS was launched.
Awesome, tho the soft bronze color is understated. Trying to picture it in: bright yellow, crimson, jet black, turquoise.
This and Ford Granada MK1 is the most beautiful cars ever made.
I would prefer the DS with a fusion engine but unfortunately we will have to wait another 30 years for the technology to catch up to the futuristic looks of this automotive masterpiece.
.
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Lovely conversion.
I had one of these many years ago. A truly unusual but beautiful looking and very comfortable car. The engine was weird though and probably a bit under powered. The steering wheel is designed to gradually collapse in the case of a crash. The brake is a little rubber button on the floor. A single touch is like applying air brakes on a truck!
Amazing
Thank you!
My dream car! The DS was always underpowered but making it electric has solved that. Citroen themselves should be doing this!
Lovely video! Thank you!
This! This is my dream car. An Electric DS. I'll take mine in dark - borderline black - blue, with black leather interior please =))
Sounds great!
I cannot wait to see the conversions of a Traction and a Citroën SM. Well done for keeping the hydraulics running!
I want this car.
Us too! It's SO good....let us know if you want us to build you one...
Oh my Lord I had this car I was in just in my 30s and I am in my 60s now!!!
It was the same colour !
My son has a 1999 Volvo v70 estate and we love it x
Are you still into doing up classic cars?
one of my favourite cars ever. I wonder if a 280 Pagoda would be easy as well?
I recall jumping down onto the roof of one of these at my local scrapyard, and surprised to find it was made of plastic.
How can you follow the car so well from the air? What drone did you use? Was it auto-piloted on the car or did you fly it manually?