DS Automobiles’ latest concept car asks us to imagine a future world where cars don’t have brakes. Obviously the DS E Tense Performance is capable of slowing down, but it does it without the conventional braking systems we all know and trust. Instead of a regular set of disc brakes, it relies exclusively on regenerative braking technology to regulate its speed.
And there’s plenty of speed to regulate.
The E Tense Performance was developed with DS’s Formula E team and employs the
exact same electric motors that are fitted to the singe-seat racers. That gives
the two-door coupe 804 hp plus a spectacular 8,000 Nm of
torque, and the ability to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 2.0
seconds. Make use of the 350 kW charging tech and you can fill the battery in
just five minutes.
Regenerative braking is nothing new. It’s
commonly found on electric and hybrid vehicles, but is always used in addition
to traditional disc brakes. DS Automobiles, though, is looking further in the
future and exploring the idea of doing away with conventional rotors and
hydraulic calipers. The advantages to such a setup include a weight reduction
from getting rid of heavy disc brake hardware (which on most cars usually
include steel, rather than lighter carbon rotors).
But harnessing all of the braking energy,
rather than letting it go to waste as heat generated from the friction of the
pads pushing on discs, is great for efficiency too, because it can be channeled
back into charging the battery.
