President Macron gains first all-electric official car

DS Automobiles delivered a new vehicle, the Presidential DS No.8, to the French President for the 80th anniversary of VE Day. It's the first time a president of a republic has had a fully electric official state vehicle.

The PRESIDENTIAL DS No. 8 is DS Automobile’s new electric flagship, and was driven to the Paris Armistice celebrations in the vehicle yesterday, May 8. The armoured vehicle was created especially for the Presidency of the French Republic, and was modified in several ways by the brand. It has a regal-looking Sapphire Blue paintjob with black-painted quarter panels and an illuminated grill featuring the red, white and blue colours of the French flag. It also has flag holders as well as Tricolore badges around the body.

Inside, the fabrics used are from artisanal French textile companies including Ateliers Lison de Caunes, Métaphores, and Atelier Lognon, all befitting a president – no cheap plastic here. Under the hood, it’s got a ACC battery with up to 750km range. DS states that the No.8 can travel over 500km on a motorway without charging, and can recover 200km of range after 10 minutes of charging.

President Macron has previous form for driving DS vehicles at official events. During his inauguration in 2017, Macron drove down the Champs-Élysées in a DS 7 Crossback, again a bespoke presidential version of the vehicle. Then, in 2021, the DS 7 Élysée was developed with a 300-horsepower E-Tense plug-in hybrid drivetrain, and was added to the official presidential fleet in November 2021.

Xavier Peugeot, CEO of DS Automobiles, said: “Presidential DS N°8, on the day of the 80th anniversary of the 8 May 1945 Victory Day, continues the line of special DS models acclaimed by the Presidency of the Republic for nearly 70 years. Like the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games connecting past and present, with 750 km of electric range, Presidential N°8 is being unveiled ahead of its launch by combining exceptional craftsmanship and avant-garde spirit, always with a sense of excellence.”

stellantis.com