French luxury brand DS is slowly releasing details on its sleek new all-electric model, the brand’s flagship EV, all bottled up in a name reminiscent of French perfume, the DS N°8. Even better, it offers a stellar range of up to 466 miles.
The Stellantis-owned French luxury automaker is certainly no stranger to luxury and innovation, and from first impressions, its new flagship EV looks to be a stunner, even with the wrappings on. The DS N°8 SUV will replace the DS 9 midsize sedan, which sits at the top of the brand’s lineup. For now, DS has shared a camouflage image of a sleek coupe-style SUV that promises a range of up 466 miles, or 750 km. While DS hasn’t revealed power output figures yet, we can guess that there will be plenty of juice to keep you going, likely paired with fast-charging capability.
Fans of DS will notice that DS has now changed its naming convention, adding in that French-style number sign, N°, which is a nod to the brand’s heritage from the original Citroen DS 19 from the 1950s, while hinting, of course, to Chanel N°5. According to the press release, this naming style “embodies elegance and timelessness that transcends languages,” adding that the “N°” is “designed in the form of a diamond tip, symbolic of elegance and class.” That’s laying it on pretty thick, but we’ll go with it.
According to WLTP, some 50 pre-series vehicles are already said to be on the road in France for everyday testing. From the looks of it, its sleek aerodynamic shape makes it a clear target for rivals such as Tesla Model Y and BMW iX, but with an extra dose of elegance and exclusivity.
Newly released images of the flagship EV’s cockpit show a large horizontal central screen set in a flat dashboard. It comes with an X-shaped wheel and speakers wrapping around the front of the doors, all in a simplified design compared to the brand’s current models.
Of course, no word on what this will cost, but like Citroen, it won’t be available for US luxury car buyers. DS has two upcoming models on the STLA Medium platform, both of which are set to be built in Melfi, Italy. The platform is built to accommodate both ICE and battery-electric drivetrains, but for now, DS has said it’s committed to full-electric only.
Photos: courtesy of Stellantis/DS
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For the second time, a judge strikes down Elon Musk’s $55 billion Tesla CEO pay package as the company struggles to avoid seeing its sales slip year over year for the first time. Plus: an all-new look for Jaguar this Giving Tuesday on Quick Charge!
We’ve also got record EV sales from both Kia and Hyundai, with the latter seeing IONIQ 5 sales double over last year, more Tesla discounts in China AND North America, and more.
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“Tesla could not meet program standards” on Oklahoma’s NEVI EV charger installation program, so EVgo took over.
As Electrek originally reported in April, Oklahoma approved more than $8 million in federal funds for Tesla, Love’s Travel Stops, and Francis Energy to build DC fast chargers along its interstates.
The three companies were to provide a combined $7 million in private funding match to build 13 DC fast charging stations. The first round of awards would complete the buildout of I-35, I-40, and I-44 as Alternative Fuel Corridors.
Tesla was supposed to install three Superchargers at the I-44 exit 240 in Catoosa, the I-40 exit 240B in Henryetta, and the I-44 exit 125B in Oklahoma City. In order to qualify for National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program funding, they had to be equipped with Magic Docks – that is, CCS compatibility.
However, OK Energy Today reports that Oklahoma Transportation Commissioners unanimously approved replacing Tesla with second-place EVgo yesterday.
Jared Schennesen, multi-modal division manager to the nine commissioners, said:
Tesla could not meet program standards for the gap awarded along I-44 in Oklahoma City.
Due to not meeting the program requirements, ODOT required that the award be revoked from Tesla as direct[ed] by state procurement rules and awarded to second-place finisher EVgo for this gap.
Schennesen didn’t specify exactly how Tesla couldn’t meet the program standards, but the article goes on to note that EVgo reduced its costs considerably compared to what Tesla’s project costs were:
EVgo won the award for a total of $519,740, and Schennesen said it reduced the total project cost by $317,932. The federal share of the project will increase by $201,781 bringing the final total to $801,780.
EVgo has more than 1,000 DC fast charging locations in 40 states and serves over 65 metropolitan areas.
Oklahoma’s NEVI EV charger installation program, EVOK, is responsible for spending $66 million from 2022-27 in NEVI Formula Program funds to create a state EV charging network. The federal NEVI program allocates $5 billion over five years to help US states create a network of EV charging stations. The funding comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The NEVI program requires EV charging stations to be available every 50 miles and within one travel mile of the Alternative Fuel Corridor. EV charging stations must include at least four ports with connectors capable of simultaneously charging four EVs at 150 kilowatts (kW) each, with a total station power capacity of 600 kW or more.
The charging stations must have 24-hour public accessibility and provide amenities like restrooms, food and beverage, and shelter.
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The US Department of Energy (DOE) says it will loan up to $7.54 billion to a Stellantis and Samsung SDI joint venture to help build two EV lithium-ion battery plants in Indiana.
Stellantis + Samsung EV battery plants loan
The joint venture is called StarPlus Energy LLC, and its huge project will create huge job growth: at least 2,800 jobs at the plants, plus hundreds more for parts suppliers at a nearby park.
At full capacity, the plants will produce about 67 GWh of batteries for Stellantis EVs in Kokomo, enough to supply about 670,000 vehicles annually, the DOE’s Loan Programs Office said. Stellantis said yesterday that the first plant will open in early 2025 and the second in 2027.
To secure the loan, StarPlus needs to implement its Community Benefits Plan, which includes working with community and labor leaders to create well-paying jobs. It’s unclear whether the loan will be able to be finalized before Donald Trump takes office on January 20, but according to the Associated Press, the DOE said “it would be irresponsible for ‘any government to turn its back on private sector partners, states, and communities that are benefiting from lower energy costs and new economic opportunities’ from the loans.”
Electrek’s Take
Since Trump is threatening tariffs all over the place to stimulate domestic manufacturing, it would be pretty dumb if he attempted to kill this loan. The DOE anticipates this and makes a point of saying in its announcement that “the project will greatly expand EV battery manufacturing capacity in North America and reduce America’s reliance on adversarial foreign nations like China, as well as other foreign sourcing of EV batteries.”
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