French company will be the first Stellantis brand to make the switch to pure EVs.
French manufacturer DS Automobiles will switch to electric-only production for new vehicles from 2024, one year earlier than originally planned, and four years earlier than other Stellantis-owned brands.
The announcement was made on social media by Jules Tilstone, managing director of DS UK. The announcement came as parent company Stellantis announced its half-year results, in which the group announced all segments were in profit, with an average 11.4 per cent margin.
“It’s been a turbulent time for the automotive industry, but great to see the Stellantis teams pulling together to deliver such a fantastic result,” said Tilstone. “We’ve also announced that from 2024 all new models from DS will be launched as full electric only.”
The firm originally announced it would move to electric-only from 2025, while other Stellantis-owned brands including Vauxhall/Opel will begin to switch from 2027. DS and Vauxhall/Opel are not currently offered in Australia, though both have been in the past.
DS currently has several electrified models on sale, including the all-electric DS 3 Crossback E-Tense, with the DS 3, DS 7 and DS 9 models all offered with plug-in hybrid power. Existing combustion models will see out their lifecycle as scheduled beyond the 2024 date.
“Our ambition is very clear: for DS to be among the global leaders in electrified cars in its segment,” said DS’s then CEO, Yves Bonnefont, in 2018.
Current CEO Béatrice Foucher previously said she was confident new models could provide a springboard into a “very large and competitive” premium market.
Stellantis is pressing ahead with an accelerated EV strategy, with plans to launch 11 battery-electric vehicles and 10 plug-in hybrid vehicles over the next 24 months.
“While delivering this strong operational performance, the company also made significant progress on strategic matters related to electrification acceleration and software, which are fundamental pillars of our strategy,” said Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares.
Jack Warrick