Electric Citroen DS ‘restomod’ revealed by UK firm

A fully-electric 1971 Citroen DS 'restomod' has been revealed by British conversion specialist Electrogenic, with a limited production run expected.  

The existing 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine has been swapped out for a single electric motor, sending 90kW and 235Nm to the front wheels via the original car's five-speed manual transmission.

Performance specifications are unknown. However, with its original 78kW/167Nm internal combustion engine fitted the vehicle climbed from 0-100km/h in approximately 13 seconds.

A 48.5kWh lithium-ion battery pack permits a claimed range of 225km, while an optional secondary system pushes this figure up to 322km.

A charging port has been mounted behind the existing fuel flap, and an onboard 29kW charging system allows the vehicle to be topped up from empty in just under two hours.

An electric pump under maintains hydro-pneumatic pressure, allowing the original – and, at the time of production, revolutionary – suspension system to operate unaffected. The cabin is entirely unchanged.

It’s expected the vehicle will be sold in limited numbers in the United Kingdom, however Electrogenic is yet to confirm a price. Drive has contacted the company for further information, and this story will be updated when more information becomes available.

Classic car conversions are not a new phenomena – fellow British firm Lunaz currently builds a spate of electrified Bentley, Jaguar, Rolls-Royce, and Range Rover models.

Meanwhile, Melbourne-based start-up Jaunt Motors is currently converting original first-generation Land Rovers into zero-emission vehicles.