Small electric cars are in short supply, Stellantis is one of the few manufacturers that can deliver something like this. With success, because the electric drive is in demand in Peugeot e-208, Opel Mokka-e and Corsa-e despite the high prices. It is also installed in the DS 3 E-Tense. The small SUV is one of the first models in the Group to benefit from the further development of the powertrain. A first driving report should clarify what the customer gets out of it.
DS 3 E-Tense: More power, bigger battery
So far, the Stellantis electric drive has always had the same configuration: 50 kWh energy content in the battery and 100 kW drive and charging power. Only the motor and DC charging power remain the same in all models: In the future, the electric motor will offer 115 kW everywhere, the charging power remains unchanged. But the battery makes a difference. In some models Stellantis calls 54, in others 51 kWh energy content. Unlike the Peugeot e-208, for example, the DS 3 E-Tense gets the larger version.
Both are gross figures, of which between 48 and 51 kWh can be used. It can be charged with direct current with up to 100 kW, with alternating current it is 11 kW. A three-phase charger is standard.
Range: 300 km in practice
Of course, the update does not have a dramatic effect on the range. DS mentions up to 401 km in the September 6 price list, and 404 km is mentioned in the information leaflet for the press. This has no meaning for the customer in everyday life: he can count on an annual average of around 300 km, as long as he doesn’t demand everything from the drive. On our rather brisk exit, the on-board computer showed around 17 kWh/100 km. For the real driving costs, he has to add the charging losses, which depend on the type of charging. They are at their highest with the supplied charging brick.
Stellantis promises significantly lower consumption with the update. Despite more power, the new engine is considerably more economical. The specification in the WLTP actually drops quite a bit: from 17.8 to 14.7 to 16.4 kWh/100 km. It is important that the charging losses are included in this specification. Lower consumption can therefore not only be achieved with a more economical engine, but also with a reduction in charging losses.
The gap between the cycle and reality is therefore somewhat larger than the above value from the on-board computer suggests, because the charging losses have to be paid for as well. In the test with the old drive train, we came up with values between 14 and 19 kWh/100 km in 2020. Since we assume that the new drive will at least not consume any more, you can probably easily get by with 15 to 16 kWh/100 km even at temperatures of around 10 degrees – including charging losses. A subsequent test must verify these values.
